THE    ROMANCE    OF 
TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 


1. 


'/l4/WJ(4Xh^  y 


(yfJl/WcJL 


1 


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PREFACE 

F  the  old  romances  of 
Tristram,  those  by 
Chrétien  de  Troyes 
and  La  Chèvre  have 
disappeared  entirely; 
of  Bérours  version, 
about  3000  verses 
have  survived,  and 
of  Thomas  of  Ercil^ 
doune%  about  the 
same  number  ;  there 
are  also  some  1500  verses  by  an  anonymous 
writer.  Then  there  are  translations,  three  of 
which  give  the  substance,  though  not  the  form,  of 
Thomas's  poem,  while  a  fourth  is  a  poem  closely 
akin  to  BerouFs  ;  various  allusions,  often  of  a  very 
valuable  kind  ;  little  episodic  poems  ;  and  finally 
the  formless  prose  romance,  containing  some 
fragments  of  old  lost  poems,  imbedded  in  a  mass 
of  absurdities,  to  which  every  successive  editor 
contributed.  What  was  the  architect  who  wished 
to  restc^^  the  ancient  building  to  do  in  the  face 
of  tV  s  ri-i.nense  heap  of  ruins  ?  Two  courses  were 
n  to  him  :  he  might  have  adopted  the  text 
of  Th^mti,  or  that  of  Beroul.  The  first  had  this 
dvantag.  that,  thanks  to  the  translations,  it 
voul     ha .  -  enabled  him  to  reconstruct  a  complete 


PREFACE 

and  homogeneous  narrative.      But  it  also  had  this 

disadvantage,  that  it  would  have  restored  the  least 

ancient    of  the   Tristram    poems,    that   in   which 

the    old   barbaric   element    was    most    completely 

assimilated   to   the    spirit    and   action    of    Anglo^ 

French  chivalry.      M*  Bédier  accordingly  chose  the 

second  course,  a  much  more  difficult  one,  but,  for 

this  very  reason,  more  tempting  to  his  art  and  his 

learning,  and  also  better  adapted  to  the  end  he  had 

in  view  :  to   revive   the   Tristram   legend  for   the 

man  of  to-^day  in  its  most  ancient  form.     He  began 

by  translating  the  extant  fragment  of  Béroul,  which 

occupies,    roughly    speaking,    the    middle    of    his 

narrative.      Having   thus   steeped   himself  in  the 

spirit   of  the   old  romancer,    assimilated  his  naïve 

manner  of  thought  and  feeling,  even  the  occasional 

puerilities    of    his    commentary    and    the    artless 

grace  of  his  style,  he  gave  a  new  head  and  limbs 

to  this   torso,    not    by    means    of    a    mechanical 

juxtaposition,  but  by  a  kind  of  organic  régénéra^ 

tion,     on    the    model    of    those     animals    which, 

when    mutilated,    complete    themselves    by    their 

inherent  energy  on  the  lines  of  their  perfect  form. 

^  M.    Bédier ^s   work    then   is  a   twelfth   century 

French  poem,  composed  in  our  own  times,  a  poem 

of  sea  and  forest,  whose  hero,  a  demi^god  rather 

than  a  man,  was   represented   as  the  master,  orl 

even  the  inventor,  of  all   the  barbarous  arts,  in 

vi 


PREFACE 

vincible  in  combat,   a  victor    over    monsters,   the 

protector  of  his  followers,  pitiless  to  his  enemies, 

living    an    almost    supernatural    life,    a    constant 

object  of  admiration,   devotion  and  envy»      This 

type  was  no  doubt  evolved  at  a  very  early  period 

in    the    Celtic  world  ;    it   was   inevitable    that    it 

should  have  been  completed  by  love»     I  need  not 

here  insist  upon  the  character  of  the  passion  which 

enthrals    Tristram    and    Iseult,     and    makes    this 

legend  in  its  various  forms  a  matchless  love^epic» 

I  will  only  point  out  that  the  idea  of  symbolising 

love — involuntary,  irresistible,  and  eternal — by  a 

philtre  the  action  of  which  persists  throughout  life 

and  even  after  death,  evidently  owed  its  origin  to 

ancient     Celtic     magic.       ^  The    element    which 

attracted  the  French  romancers  in  the  story  and 

tempted  them  to  clothe  it  in  the  consecrated  form 

of  joctosyllabic  verses,  in  spite  of  all  its  difficulties 

and  obscurities,  was  the  element  which  secured  the 

success  of  their  undertaking  and  gave  an  unprece^ 

dented    popularity   to    the    legend    as    soon   as  it 

became  familiar  to  the  RomanO" Germanic  world  : 

the   idea   of  the  fatality  of  love^  which   raises  it 

above  all  laws.    This  idea,  incarnated  in  these  two 

exceptional  beings,  is  the  more  sympathetic  to  the 

hearts   of    men   and   women    here,    because    it    is 

purified  by  suffering  and  sanctified  by  death.     The 

ideal,  touching  and  attractive  as  it  is,  is   also   a 

vii 


PREFACE 
dangerous  one.  ^  This  should  suffice  to  attract 
readers  who  love  both  history  and  poetry*  But  in 
addition  they  will  be  fascinated  as  they  read  this 
ancient  story  by  the  charm  of  the  detail,  the 
mysterious  and  mythic  beauty  of  certain  episodes, 
the  happy  invention  of  others,  the  freshness  of  the 
situations  and  sentiments,  all  that  makes  the  poem 
a  unique  combination  of  hoary  age  and  eternal 
youth,  of  Celtic  melancholy  and  French  grace,  of 
powerful  realism  and  delicate  psychology» 

GASTON  PARIS 


viii 


■I 


AUTHOR^S  NOTE 

I  have  not  encumbered  my  work  by  the  innumerable 

foot-'notes  which  would  have  been  necessary  had 

I  indicated  in  the  text  the  many  sources  from 
which  I  have  drawn  the  materials  for  this  little 
book^  But  I  owe  the  reader  certain  general  indi^ 
cations.  Chap.  I  of  our  romance  is  an  abstract, 
very  much  compressed,  of  the  various  poems  deal" 
ing  with  Tristram^s  childhood,  but  more  especially 
that  of  Thomas  in  its  various  versions.     Chapters 

II  and  III  follow  Eilhart  of  Oberg  (Lichtenstein 
ed.  Strasburg,  l878).  Chap.  IV  is  based  on  the 
general  body  of  tradition,  notably  Eilhart's  version, 
while  certain  features  are  peculiar  to  Gottfried  of 
Strasburg  (ed.  W.  Golther,  Berlin  and  Stuttgart, 
1888).  Chap.  V  is  from  Eilhart.  Chap.  VI: 
in  the  middle  of  this  chapter,  Béroul's  fragment 
begins  with  Iseult^s  arrival  at  the  tryst  under  the 
pine-tree,  and  this  I  have  faithfully  preserved 
throughout  Chapters  VII,  VIII,  IX,  X,  XI,  inter- 
preting it  here  and  there  by  Eilhart's  poem  and 
some  traditional  variations.  Chap.  XII  is  a  very 
free  abridgment  of  the  fragment  which  follows 
Béroul's  poem.  Chap.  XIII  is  an  interpolation 
from  a  didactic  poem  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
''Le  Domnei  des  Amanz.''  Chap.  XIV  is  from 
Gottfried    of    Strasburg.       Chapters    XV-XVII  : 

the  episodes  of  Karaido  and  of  Tristram's  disguise 

ix 


AUTHOR^S  NOTE 
are  borrowed  from  Thomas  ;  the  rest  is  taken  in 
the  main  from  Eilhart.  Chap»  XVIII  is  an  adap> 
tation  of  a  little  episodic  French  poem»  Chap. 
XIX  is  translated  from  Thomas  ;  certain  episodes 
are  borrowed  from  Eilhart,  and  from  the  French 
prose  romance,  MS»  103  in  the  Bibliothèque 
Nationale,  Paris» 

J.  B» 


\ 

V 


CONTENTS 


I 


CHAP.  PAGB 

L  THE  childhood;  OF  TRISTRAM  i 

U.  SIR  MARHAUS  OF  IRELAND         lO^n  rc  l)S  13 

ni.  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR      ^      25 

rV.  THE  PHILTRE  43 

V.  BRAGWAINE  GIVEN  OVER  TO  THE  SERFS  5t 

VL  THE  GREAT  PINE-TREE      ^/^  59 

'  VIL  FROCIN  THE  DWARF         ^  73 

VIIL  THE  LEAP  FROM  THE  CHAPEL  81 

IX.  THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS      "^  93 

X,  THE  HERMIT  OGRIN     ^^  109 

_  XL  THE  FORD  PERILOUS  117 

XIL  THE  ORDEAL  BY  RED-HOT  IRON  129 

XUL  THE  NIGHTINGALE'S  SONG  139 

XIV.  THE  MAGIC  BELL  149 

XV.  ISEULT  OF  THE  WHITE  HAND  155 

XVL  KAHERDIN  167 

XVIL  DINAS  OF  LIDAN  177 

XVm.  TRISTRAM'S  MADNESS  189 

XIX.  DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT  s^                                    205 


XI 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 


Tristram  and  Iseult  Frontispiece 

The   castle   rose   by  the   sea-coast,  fair  and   strong,  well  fortified 

against  all  assault  and  all  engines  of  war  8 

She  alone,  cunning  in  the  use  of  philtres,  could  save  Tristram  22 

Tristram  spurred  his  horse  against  him  with  such  fury  ♦  •  ♦  32 

At  this  moment  Bragwaine  entered,  and  saw  how  they  gazed  at 

each  other  in  silence,  ravished  and  amazed  46 

Eighteen  days  from  that  time,  having  convoked  all   his  barons,  he 

took  Iseult  the  Fair  to  wife  52 

Above  in  the  branches  the  King  was  moved  to  pity,  and  he  smiled 

gently  70 

Unless  the  King  would   send   his  nephew  out  of  the  country,  they 

would  retire  into  their  castles  and  make  war  upon  him  74 

Presently  the  news  spread  throughout  the  city  in  the  darkness  82 

The  lovers  lived  crouching  in  the  hollow  of  a  rock  ♦  .  •  100 

All  night,  passing  through  the  beloved  woods  for  the  last  time, 

they  journeyed  in  silence  114 

The  palace  gates  were  thrown  open  to  all  comers;   rich   and  poor 

might  sit  down  and  eat  126 

She  stretched  out  her  arms  on  either  side,  the  palms  open  138 

Under  the  trees  he  pressed  her  to  his  heart  without  a  word  142 

She  took  the  magic   bell,  rang  it  for  the  last  time,  then  threw  it 

into  the  sea  154 

Then  the  two  on  foot,  with  shattered  shields  and  hauberks  unbuckled, 

defied  and  assailed  each  other  164 

The  Queen  sings  sweetly  170 

King  Mark  and  Iseult  the  Fair  were  seated  at  chess  174 

Tristram  disguised  himself  as  a  beggar  186 

She  gave  up  the  ghost  and  died  beside  him  for  grief  216 


Xlll 


I 


I.  THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  TRISTRAM 


Du  weerest  zwàre  baz  gênant 
Juvcnte  bêle  et  la  riant 

GOTTFRIED  OF  STRASBURG 


O  please  you,  gentles, 
I  will  tell  a  fair  tale 
of  love  and  death» 
It  is  the  tale  of  Tris^ 
tram  and  of  Iseult 
the  Queen*  Listen 
how  with  great  joy 
and  great  grief  they 
loved  each  other,  and 
then  died  on  the 
same  day,  he  by  her, 
and  she  by  him.  ^  In  olden  times,  King 
Mark  reigned  in  Cornwall.  Rivalen,  King  or 
Lyonnesse,  having  heard  that  his  enemies  were 
warring  against  him,  crossed  the  sea  to  succour 
him.  He  served  him  with  good  sword  and  good 
counsel,  as  a  vassal  would  have  done,  and  so 
faithfully  that  Mark  gave  him  as  a  reward  the  fair 
Blanchefleur,  his  sister,  and  King  Rivalen  loved 
her  with  a  marvellous  love.  ^  He  took  her  to 
wife  at  the  monastery  of  Tintagel.  But  scarcely 
had  he  wed  her,  when  news  came  to  him  that  his 
ancient  enemy,  Duke  Morgan,  had  fallen  upon 
Lyonnesse,  destroying  his  villages,  his  fields  and  his 
towns.  Rivalen  took  ship  in  haste,  bearing  with 
him  Blanchefleur,  who  was  with  child,  towards  his 
distant  kingdom.  He  landed  before  his  castle  of 
Kanoèl,  and  gave  his  Queen  to  the  safeguard  of 

3 


TRISTRAM  AND  I 
his  marshal,  Rohalt,  Rohalt,  who  for  his  loyalty 
was  known  to  all  men  by  a  fair  name,  Rohalt  the 
Faith^keeper  ;  then,  having  assembled  his  barons, 
Rivalen  set  out  to  give  battle»  ^  Blanchefleur 
waited  long  for  him»  Alasl  he  was  not  to 
return  I  One  day  she  learned  that  Duke  Morgan 
had  slain  him  treacherously.  She  did  not  weep, 
she  uttered  no  cries,  no  lamentations,  but  her 
limbs  became  weak  and  useless  ;  her  soul  would 
fain  have  torn  itself  from  her  body.  Rohalt 
essayed  to  comfort  her:  ^  ^'Queen,'^  said  he, 
*^what  shall  it  profit  to  "pile  sorrow  upon 
sorrow  ?  Must  not  all  who  are  born  die  ?  May 
God  receive  the  dead  and  preserve  the  living  I  '^ 
^  But  she  would  not  hear  him.  Three  days  she 
waited  to  rejoin  her  dear  lord.  On  the  fourth  day 
she  brought  forth  a  son,  and  having  taken  him  in 
her  arms:  ^  ^^  Son,^^  said  she,  ^M  have  long 
desired  to  see  thee,  and  I  see  the  fairest  creature 
ever  born  of  woman.  Sadly  am  I  brought  to  bed, 
sad  is  thy  first  birthday,  and  because  of  thee  I  am 
sad  even  unto  death.  /^And  since  thou  hast  come 
into  the  world  in  sorrow  thou  shalt  be  called 
Tristram.'^  ^  When  she  had  said  these  words, 
she  kissed  him,  and  as  soon  as  she  had  kissed 
him,  she  died.  ^  Rohalt  the  Faith^keeper  took 
charge  of  the  child.  Already  Duke  Morgan's 
men  had  encompassed  the  castle  of  Kanoël  ;  how 
4 


THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  TRISTRAM 
could  Rohalt  have  battled  any  longer  ?  It  has 
well  been  said  :  Foolhardiness  is  not  valour.  He 
had  to  yield  to  the  mercy  of  Duke  Morgan.  But 
fearing  that  Morgan  might  slay  the  son  of  Rivalen/ 
the  marshal  made  him  pass  for  his  own  child, 
and  brought  him  up  among  his  sons.  ^  After^ 
seven  years,  when  it  was  time  to  take  him  from 
the  women,  Rohalt  gave  Tristram  to  the  keeping, 
of  a  wise  governor,  the  good  squire  Gorvenal.  In 
a  few  years  Gorvenal  taught  him  the  arts  that 
beseem  a  baron.  He  taught  him  how  to  handle 
the  lance,  the  sword,  the  shield,  and  the  bow,  to 
hurl  stone  discs,  and  to  leap  the  widest  ditches  at 
a  bound  ;  he  taught  him  to  hate  all  lies  and  felony, 
to  help  the  weak,  to  keep  his  troth  ;  he  taught  him 
divers  manners  of  singing,  to  play  the  harp,  and 
the  art  of  venery  ;  and  when  the  child  was  prancing 
among  the  youthful  squires,  it  seemed  that  he,  his 
horse  and  his  arms  were  but  one  body,  and  had 
never  been  separated.  Seeing  him  so  noble  and  so 
proud,  broad  of  shoulders  and  lean  of  flank,  strong, 
faithful  and  valiant,  all  men  praised  Rohalt  for 
having  such  a  son.  But  Rohalt,  thinking  of 
Rivalen  and  Blanchefleur,  whose  youth  and  grace 
were  living  again,  cherished  Tristram  as  his  son, 
and  secretly  reverenced  him  as  his  lord.  ^  Now 
it  Came  to  pass  that  all  his  joy  was  snatched  from 
h^m  on  a  day  when  some  merchants  of  Norway,- 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

having  lured  Tristram  into  their  ship^  carried  him 

off  as  a  rich  spoil.      Whiles   they  were    beating 

towards  unknown    shores,    Tristram    fought    and 

struggled   like  a   young  wolf   taken  in   the  toils. 

But   this  is  a  proven  truth,   well    known    to   all 

mariners:    the   sea   bears    treacherous    ships    un^ 

willingly,  and  will  not  help  in  deeds  of  guile  and 

violence.      It  rose  in  fury,  wrapped  the  vessel  in 

darkness,  and  drove  it  eight  days  and  eight  nights 

hither  and  thither.    At  last  the  sailors  saw  through 

the  mist  a  coast  bristling  with  cliffs  and  sunken 

rocks,  on  which  it  made  as  if  to  cast  their  vessel. 

They  repented  ;    and   knowing   that  the  wrath  of 

the  sea  was  on  behalf  of  the  youth  thus  ravished 

in  an  evil  hour,  they  vowed  to  release  him,  and 

prepared  a  boat  to  put  him  on  shore.    Immediately 

the  winds  and  the  waves  abated,  the  sky  brightened, 

and  whiles  the  Norwegian  ship  disappeared  in  the 

distance,  the  calm  and  smiling  waves  bore  Tristram's 

boat  to  the  sandy  beach.     ^  Painfully  he  climbed 

the  cliff,  and  saw,  beyond  an  undulating  and  desolate 

expanse  of  heath,  a  vast  forest.     Then  did  he  break 

out    into    lamentations    for    Gorvenal,    his    father 

Rohalt,  and  the  land  of  Lyonnesse,  when  suddenly 

his  heart  was  uplifted  by  the  distant  sound  of  a 

hunting  horn  and  the  shouts  of  hunters.     A  fine 

stag  came  forth   from   the  forest.      Hounds  i^nd 

huntsmen    followed    in    his    track   with    a    gre^  t 
6 


THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  TRISTRAM 
clamour  of  horns  and  of  voices*  Soon  the  hounds 
were  hanging  on  his  neck  in  clusters,  and  the 
noble  beast,  brought  to  bay  a  few  paces  from 
Tristram,  sank  upon  his  knees  to  die»  A  huntsman 
despatched  him  with  a  spear.  Then  the  hunters, 
ranging  themselves  in  a  circle,  sounded  the  death, 
and  with  amazement  Tristram  saw  the  chief  hunts^ 
man  cut  a  large  gash  in  the  throat  of  the  stag, 
as  if  to  sever  it  from  the  body.  He  cried  aloud  : 
^  ^^  What  are  you  doing,  sir  ?  Would  you  cut  up 
the  noble  beast  like  a  slaughtered  pig  ?  Is  this 
the  custom  of  your  country  ?  ''*  ^  ^^  Fair  brother,^' 
replied  the  chief  huntsman,  ^^  why  should  this  sur^ 
prise  you  ?  Yes,  I  shall  first  sever  the  head,  and 
then  I  shall  cut  the  body  into  four  quarters,  which 
we  will  carry  on  our  saddle-bows  to  our  lord, 
King  Mark.  This  is  our  custom  ;  thus  have  the 
men  of  Cornwall  always  done  from  the  earliest 
times.  But  if  you  know  of  some  worthier  custom, 
teach  it  to  us  ;  take  this  knife,  fair  brother.  We 
will  willingly  learn  of  thee."'  ^  So  Tristram  knelt 
down,  and  skinned  the  stag  before  dismembering 
it.  Then  he  cut  it  up,  leaving  the  thigh-^bone  bare, 
as  is  fitting;  then  he  took  the  offal,  the  snout, 
the  tongue,  the  dowcets  and  the  main  artery. 
^  And  huntsmen  and  varlets,  leaning  over  him, 
watched  him  with  delight.  CJ  ''  Friend,''  said  the 
chief  huntsman,  **  these  customs  are  fair.    In  what 

7 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

land  didst  thou  learn  them?  Tell  us  thy  country  and 

thy  name  ?  ^'    ^  ^^  Gentle  sir,  they  call  me  Tristram, 

and  I   learned  these   customs   in  my  native  land 

of  Lyonnesse/'    ^  ^^Tristram/'  said  the  huntsman, 

^*  may  God  reward  the  father  who  brought  thee  up 

so  nobly*     He  is  doubtless  a  rich  and  powerful 

baron  ?  ''     ^  But  Tristram,  who  could  both  speak 

and  hold  his  peace  advisedly,  replied  with  guile  : 

^  **  No,  my  lord,  my  father  is  a  merchant»     I  left 

his  house  secretly  in  a  ship  which  was  sailing  to 

trade  in  distant  lands,  for  I  wished  to  learn  how 

men  in  strange  countries  bear  themselves.      But  if 

you  will  accept  me  as  one  of  your  huntsmen,  I  will 

follow  you  willingly,  fair  sir,  and  I  will  show  you 

other  devices  of  venery/'  ^  Then  Tristram  finished 

the  cutting  up  of  the  stag.      He  gave  the  heart  and 

the  offal  to  the  dogs,  and  taught  the  hunters  how  to 

flesh  the  dogs  and  wind  the  horn.     Then  he  stuck 

the  various  pieces  on  prongs  and  gave  them  to  the 

different  huntsmen  ;  to  one  the  head,  to  another  the 

haunch  and  the  large  steaks,  to  some  the  shoulders, 

to   others    the    thighs,  and  to   another  the  loins. 

He  taught  them  how  to  range  themselves  two  and 

two  to  ride  in  fair  array,  and  in  due  order,  accord^ 

ing  to  the  dignity  of  the  pieces  of  venison  they 

carried.     ^  Then  they  set  out,  discoursing  by  the 

way,  till    at    last    they  came  to  a  lordly   castle. 

Meadows  lay  about  it,  with  orchards,  and  running 
8 


The  castle  rose   by  the  sea-coast  fair  and  strong, 

well  fortified  against  all  assault  and  all  engines  of  war. 

Page  9 


o  agfiq 


THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  TRISTRAM 
water,  fish-ponds  and  ploughed  lands.  Many 
vessels  were  entering  the  port.  The  castle  rose 
by  the  sea^ coast,  fair  and  strong,  well  fortified 
against  all  assault  and  all  engines  of  war  ;  its  main 
tower,  built  of  old  by  giants,  was  made  of  blocks 
of  stone  large  and  shapely,  arranged  like  a  chess^ 
board  of  green  and  azure  squares.  ^  Tristram 
asked  the  name  of  the  castle.  ^  ^*  Fair  varlet,  it 
is  called  Tintagel.^^  ^  ^^^Tintagel,^^  cried  Tristram, 
*'  blessed  be  thou  of  God,  and  blessed  be  those  that 
dwell  within  thy  walls.""  ^  Gentles,  it  was  in  this 
castle  that  his  father  Rivalen  had  wedded  Blanche^ 
fleur  with  great  rejoicings.  But,  alas  !  Tristram 
knew  it  not.  ^  When  they  came  to  the  foot  of 
the  donjon,  the  horns  of  the  hunters  called  forth 
the  barons  to  the  gates  and  even  King  Mark  him-* 
self.  ^  When  the  chief  huntsman  had  related  the 
adventure,  Mark  marvelled  at  the  gallant  order  of 
the  procession,  the  skilful  division  of  the  stag,  and 
the  cunning  of  these  customs  of  venery*  But  above 
all  he  admired  the  beautiful  stranger  youth,  and  he 
could  not  take  his  eyes  from  him.  Whence  arose 
this  first  tenderness?  The  King  asked  his  own  heart 
and  could  find  no  answer.  Gentle  sirs,  it  was  the 
blood  which  spoke  and  stirred  within  him,  and  the 
love  he  had  borne  of  old  to  his  sister  Blanchefleur. 
^  In  the  evening,  when  the  tables  were  cleared,  a 
Welsh  minstrel,  a  master  of  his  art,  advanced  among 

9 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
the  assembled  barons,  and  sang  lays  to  his  harp» 
Tristram  was  seated  at  the  King's  feet,  and  when 
the  harper  played  the  prelude  of  a  new  melody, 
Tristram  spoke  thus  :  ^  *^  Master,  this  lay  is  one  , 
of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  :  the  ancient  Britons 
made  it  of  yore  to  celebrate  the  loves  of  Graelent» 
The  air  is  sweet,  and  sweet  are  the  words.  Master, 
thy  voice  is  skilful,  harp  it  well/'  ^  The  Welshman 
sang,  and  then  he  spoke  :  ^  ^^  Youth,  what  knowest 
thou  of  the  art  of  instruments  ?  If  the  merchants 
of  Lyonnesse  also  teach  their  sons  to  play  the  harp,^^ 
and  the  rote,  and  the  viol,  rise,  take  this  harp,  and 
prove  thy  skill/'  C|  Tristram  took  the  harp  and 
sang  so  bravely  that  the  hearts  of  the  barons  were 
moved  as  they  listened*  And  King  Mark  admired  the 
harper  who  had  come  from  that  land  of  Lyonnesse, 
whither  Rivalen  had  taken  Blanchefleur»  ^  When 
the  lay  was  finished,  the  King  was  silent  for  a  long 
while.  ^  Then  said  he  at  length  :  ^^  Son,  blessed 
be  thou  of  God,  and  blessed  be  the  master  who 
taught  thee*  God  loveth  good  singers.  Their 
voices  and  the  voice  of  the  harp  pierce  the  hearts 
of  men,  awaken  their  beloved  memories,  and  make 
them  forget  many  a  grief  and  many  a  misdeed. 
For  our  joy  didst  thou  come  into  this  dwelling. 
Abide  with  me,  friend."  ^  ''  Willingly  will  I  serve 
thee, sire,"  said  Tristram,  ^^as  thy  harper,  thy  hunts" 
man,  and  thy  liegeman."  ^  So  did  he,  and  for  three 

lO 


THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  TRISTRAM 

years  a  mutual  tenderness    grew  in  their  hearts. 

In  the  daytime,  Tristram  followed  Mark  when  the 

King  sat  in  judgment  or  rode  out  to  the  chase,  and 

at  night,  sleeping  in  the  royal  chamber  among  the 

closest  and  most  faithful  of  the  King's  followers, 

when  the  King  was  sad,  he  played  on  the  harp  to 

soothe  his  grief.    The  barons  loved  him,  and  above 

all,  the  seneschal  Dinas  of  Lidan,  as  history  tells 

us.     But  even  more  tenderly  than  Dinas  and  the 

barons  did  Mark    love    him.      Yet   for   all  their 

kindness  Tristram  ceased  not  to  lament  his  father 

Rohalt,    his    master    Gorvenal,   and    the   land    of 

Lyonnesse.     ^  Gentle  lords,  the  teller  of  tales  who 

desires  to  please  must  avoid  long  histories.     The 

matter  of  this  tale  is  so  beauteous  and  varied,  it 

would  be  bootless  to  draw  it  out.     I  will  therefore 

briefly  tell  how,  after  long  wanderings  by  land  and 

sea,  Rohalt  the  Faith -^keeper  landed  in  Cornwall, 

recognised  Tristram,   and  showing  the  King  the 

carbuncle  given  by  him  of  yore  to  Blanchefleur  as 

a  precious  nuptial  gift,   said  :      ^  ^^  King  Mark, 

this  is  Tristram  of  Lyonnesse,  your  nephew,  son  of 

your    sister    Blanchefleur,   and    of    King  Rivalen. 

Duke  Morgan  hath  wrongfully  seized  his  lands  ;  it 

is  time  that  they  should  come  back  to  the  rightful 

heir.''     ^  And  I  will  tell  briefly  how  Tristram, 

having  received  the  arms  of  a  knight  from  his  uncle, 

crossed  the  seas  in  Cornish  vessels,  caused   his 

a 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
father's  ancient  vassals  to  recognise  him,  de^ 
fied  the  murderer  of  Rivalen,  killed  him,  and 
recovered  his  lands*  ^  Then  he  bethought  him 
that  King  Mark  could  no  longer  live  happily  with^ 
out  him,  and  as  his  noble  heart  always  showed  him 
the  right,  he  summoned  his  counts  and  his  barons, 
and  spoke  thus  to  them  :  ^  ^^  Nobles  of  Lyonnesse, 
I  have  reconquered  this  land,  and  avenged  King 
Rivalen  by  God's  help  and  yours*  Thus  I  have 
restored  the  rights  of  my  father*  But  there  were 
two  men,  Rohalt  and  King  Mark  of  Cornwall, 
who  succoured  the  orphan  and  the  wandering 
youth,  and  they  are  to  me  as  fathers  ;  should  I 
not  also  render  them  their  dues  ?  Now  a  man  of 
high  degree  has  two  things  of  his  own,  his  lands 
and  his  body.  To  Rohalt  therefore,  I  will  give 
my  lands  :  father,  thou  shalt  hold  them,  and  thy 
son  shall  hold  them  after  thee.  To  King  Mark,  I 
will  give  my  body.  I  will  leave  this  country,  dear 
though  it  be  to  me,  and  I  will  go  and  serve  my 
lord  King  Mark  in  Cornwall.  This  is  my  mind  ; 
but  ye  are  my  lieges,  lords  of  Lyonnesse,  and 
ye  owe  me  counsel  ;  if,  therefore,  one  of  you 
should  wish  to  show  me  a  more  excellent  way,  let 
him  rise  and  speak  I  ''  ^  But  all  the  barons 
approved  him  with  tears,  and  Tristram,  taking  only 
Gorvenal  with  him,  set  sail  for  the  land  of  King 
Mark. 

12 


IL  SIR  MARHAUS  OF  IRELAND 


■:1 


Tristrem  seyd:  "  Y^is 
Y  wil  défende  it  as  knizt  " 

SIR  TRISTREM 


N  that  day  when 
Tristram  came  into 
Cornwall,  he  found 
Mark  and  all  his 
barony  mourning* 
For  the  King  of  Ire^ 
land  had  equipped  a 
fleet  to  ravage  Corn^ 
wall  if  Mark  should 
refuse,  as  he  had 
done  for  fifteen  years 
past,  to  pay  a  tribute  formerly  paid  by  his 
ancestors*  You  must  know  that  in  accordance 
with  ancient  treaties,  the  Irish  had  a  right  of 
truage  in  Cornwall,  and  to  levy  there  the  first 
year  300  pounds  of  copper,  and  the  second  year 
300  pounds  of  refined  silver,  and  the  third  year 
300  pounds  of  gold*  But  when  the  fourth  year 
came,  they  carried  away  300  youths  and  300 
maidens  of  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  chosen  by  lot 
from  among  the  families  of  Cornwall.  Now  in  this 
year  the  King  had  sent  to  bear  his  message  to  Tinta-* 
gel  a  gigantic  knight,  Marhaus,  whose  sister  he  had 
married,  and  whom  none  had  ever  vanquished  in 
battle.  But  King  Mark  had  sent  out  sealed 
letters,  summoning  all  the  barons  of  his  land  to 
court  to  hold  council.  ^  At  the  time  appointed, 
when  the  barons  were  assembled  in  the   vaulted 

15 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
hall  of  the  palace  and  Mark  was  seated  upon  the 
dais,  Marhaus  spake  thus  :  ^  ^^  King  Mark, 
hearken  for  the  last  time  to  the  behest  of  my  lord, 
the  King  of  Ireland»  He  requires  thee  to  pay  him 
at  last  the  tribute  due  to  him,  and  inasmuch  as 
thou  hast  withheld  it  over  long,  he  requires  thee 
this  day  to  deliver  to  me  300  youths  and  300 
maidens  of  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  chosen  by  lot 
from  among  the  families  of  CornwalL  My  ship, 
now  anchored  in  the  harbour  of  Tintagel,  will 
bear  them  away  to  be  our  serfs*  Nevertheless — 
and  I  make  exception  of  thyself  alone,  King  Mark, 
as  is  fitting — if  one  of  thy  barons  desires  to  prove 
in  single  combat  that  the  King  of  Ireland  claims 
this  tribute  wrongfully,  I  will  accept  his  gage» 
Which  of  you,  nobles  of  Cornwall,  will  fight  for 
the  freedom  of  this  country  ?  ^'  ^  The  barons 
looked  askant  at  each  other  and  hung  their  heads. 
One  said  to  himself  :  ^^  See,  poor  wretch,  the 
stature  of  this  Marhaus  of  Ireland  ;  he  is  stronger 
than  four  stout  men»  Look  at  his  sword  ; 
knowest  thou  not  that  it  is  enchanted,  and  that  by 
magic  it  has  smitten  off  the  heads  of  the  boldest 
champions  for  many  years  past,  since  the  King  of 
Ireland  has  been  sending  this  giant  to  bear  his 
challenge  to  vassal  lands.  Poor  weakling,  dost 
thou  desire  death  ?  Why  shouldst  thou  tempt 
God?''  Another  thought:  ''Did  I  rear  you, 
16 


^ 


SIR  MARHAUS  OF  IRELAND 
dear  sons,  to  be  serfs,  and  you,  dear  daughters, 
to  be  wantons  ?  But  my  death  would  avail  you 
nothing/^  And  all  were  silent^  ^  Then 
Marhaus  said  again  :  ^  ^^  Which  of  you,  Cornish 
nobles,  will  take  my  gage  ?  I  offer  him  a  fair 
battle  ;  for  in  three  days  we  will  go  in  vessels  to 
the  island  of  Saint  Samson,  off  TintageL  There 
your  champion  and  I  will  fight  alone,  and  the 
glory  of  having  adventured  himself  in  the  combat 
will  be  reflected  on  all  his  kindred/'  ^  Still  they 
held  their  peeLce,  and  Marhaus  seemed  like  the 
gerfalcon,  when  the  hawker  puts  him  into  a  cage^ 
ful  of  little  birds  :  when  he  enters  all  become 
mute.  ^  Marhaus  spake  the  third  time  :  ^  ''  Well 
then,  fair  gentles  of  Cornwall,  as  you  hold  this 
way  the  worthier,  cast  lots  and  I  will  carry  away 
your  children.  But  I  did  not  know  that  the  in^ 
habitants  of  this  country  were  all  serfs/'  ^  Then 
Tristram  knelt  at  the  feet  of  King  Mark,  and  said, 
^^  My  lord  the  King,  if  thou  wilt  grant  me  this  boon, 
I  will  do  battle/'  ^  In  vain  King  Mark  sought 
to  dissuade  him.  He  was  so  youthful  a  knight  ; 
what  would  his  courage  avail  him  ?  But  Tristram 
gave  his  gage  to  Marhaus,  and  Marhaus  accepted 
it.  ^  On  the  appointed  day,  Tristram  set  himself 
upon  a  counterpane  of  crimson  cendal,  and  was 
armed  for  the  great  adventure.  He  put  on  the 
hauberk  and  the  helmet  of  burnished  steel.     The 

B  17 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

barons  wept  for  pity  of  the  valiant  youth  and  for 

shame  of  themselves.    *^  Ah  I  Tristram/^  said  they, 

^*  bold  baron,  fair  youth,  why  did  not  I  undertake 

this  quarrel  in  thy  stead  ?     My  death  would  cause 

less  sorrow  upon  earth.    .    ♦    /^      The  bells  rang, 

and  all  men,  barons  and  churls,  old  men,  children 

and     women,    weeping     and     praying,     escorted 

Tristram  to  the  shore.     They  still  hoped,  for  hope 

flourishes  on  scanty   pasturage   in   the   hearts   of 

men.     4^1  Tristram    embarked    in  a  vessel  alone, 

and   sped    towards   the    island  of   Saint   Samson. 

But  Marhaus  had  bent  a  sail  of   rich  purple  to 

his    mast,    and    he    landed    first    on    the    island. 

He  was   mooring   his   boat   to    the    shore    when 

Tristram,  landing  in   his   turn,  spurned   his   boat 

with    his    foot    out    to    sea.      ^  ^^  Vassal,    what 

doest  thou  ?  ''  asked   Marhaus,   *^  and  why   didst 

thou    not    make    thy    boat    fast    like    mine  ?  '' 

^  *^  Vassal,  to    what    end  ?  '^   replied  Tristram. 

*^  Only  one  of  us  will  leave  this  shore  alive  ;  will 

not  a  single  boat  suffice  for  him  ?  '^     ^  And  the 

two,  goading  each  other  to  battle   with  insulting 

words,   went  forward    into    the    island.     ^  None 

witnessed    the     fierce    encounter,    but    thrice    it 

seemed  as  if   the   sea  breeze   bore    a  furious    cry 

to  the  shore.     Then  the  women  smote  their  palms 

together  in   token  of    mourning,    and    Marhaus's 

comrades,     standing     apart     before     their     tents, 
i8 


SIR  MARHAUS  OF  IRELAND 
laughed  aloud*  Finally,  about  the  hour  of 
none,  the  purple  sail  appeared  in  the  distance  ; 
the  Irishman's  vessel  left  the  island  and  a  clamour 
of  distress  arose  :  ^^  Marhaus  I  Marhaus  I  '^  But 
as  the  boat  grew  larger  to  their  sight,  suddenly, 
on  the  crest  of  a  wave,  it  showed  a  knight  standi 
ing  at  the  prow  ;  in  either  hand  he  brandished  a 
sword;  it  was  Tristram»  Twenty  vessels  flew 
across  the  water  to  meet  him,  and  the  young  men 
jumped  in  and  swam  towards  him»  The  valiant 
youth  sprang  upon  the  beach,  and  while  kneeling 
mothers  kissed  his  mailed  feet,  he  cried  aloud 
to  Marhaus'  comrades  :  ^  ^^  Nobles  of  Ireland, 
Marhaus  fought  welL  See,  my  sword  is  damaged  ; 
a  fragment  of  the  blade  is  embedded  in  his  skull. 
Take  this  fragment  of  steel  with  you,  my  lords. 
It  is  Cornwall's  tribute/'  ^  Then  he  went  up 
towards  Tintagel,  and  on  the  way  the  children  he 
had  saved  waved  green  branches  with  loud  cries, 
and  rich  curtains  were  hung  from  the  windows. 
But  when,  amidst  the  songs  of  joy,  the  sound  of 
bells,  of  trumpets  and  of  horns,  so  clamorous 
that  none  could  have  heard  God  thunder,  Tristram 
arrived  at  the  castle,  he  fell  swooning  into  King 
Mark's  arms,  and  the  blood  streamed  from  his 
wounds.  ^  Then  the  fellowship  of  Marhaus 
returned,  greatly  discomfited,  to  Ireland.  Much 
had  Sir  Marhaus  rejoiced  in  former  days,  when, 

19 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
coming  into  the  harbour  of  Wexford,  he  had  seen 
his  liegemen  assembled  in  crowds  to  greet  him, 
with  the  Queen,  his  sister,  and  his  niece,  the  fair 
Iseuh  with  the  golden  hair,  whose  beauty  was 
already  as  that  of  the  dawning  day*  They  had 
been  wont  to  receive  him  tenderly,  and  if  he  had 
taken  any  hurt,  they  healed  him,  for  they  knew  of 
balms  and  potions  that  would  restore  wounded 
men  who  seemed  already  as  those  dead.  But  of 
what  avail  were  now  their  magic  recipes,  their 
herbs  gathered  at  propitious  moments,  their 
philtres  ?  For  he  lay  dead,  sewed  up  in  the  skin 
of  a  stag,  and  the  fragment  of  his  enemy's  sword 
was  still  buried  in  his  skulL  Iseult  the  Fair 
removed  it  and  enclosed  it  in  an  ivory  casket, 
precious  as  a  reliquary.  And  bending  over  that 
mighty  body,  the  mother  and  daughter  repeated 
again  and  again  the  praises  of  the  dead,  and  called 
down  curses  on  the  murderer,  leading  the  funeral 
lament  of  the  women  in  turn.  From  this  day 
Iseult  the  Fair  learnt  to  hate  the  name  of  Tristram 
of  Lyonnesse.  ^  But  Tristram  lay  and  languished 
at  Tintagel  ;  and  the  blood  that  flowed  from  his 
wounds  was  envenomed.  The  surgeons  knçw 
that  Marhaus  had  thrust  a  poisoned  spear^head 
into  his  flesh,  and  as  their  potions  and  their 
opiates  were  powerless  to  save  him,  they  com^ 
mended  him  to  the  care  of  God.     And  the  stench 


SIR  MARHAUS  OF  IRELAND 
of  his  wounds  was  so  grievous  that  his  dearest 
friends  fled  from  him,  save  only  King  Mark, 
Gorvenal,  and  Dinas  of  Lidan.  They  alone  kept 
watch  by  his  bed  and  their  love  overcame  their 
horror»  At  last  Tristram  caused  them  to  carry  him 
to  a  hut  built  in  a  lonely  place  on  the  sea^  shore, 
and,  lying  over  against  the  waves,  he  waited  for 
death.  He  thought  :  **  Hast  thou  then  forsaken 
me,  King  Mark,  me,  who  saved  the  honour  of  thy 
land  ?  No,  fair  uncle,  I  know  thou  wouldst  give 
thy  life  for  mine,  but  what  avails  thy  tender-^ 
ness  ?  I  must  die*  Yet  it  is  sweet  to  see  the 
sun,  and  my  heart  is  still  bold»  I  will  tempt  the 
adventurous  sea»  It  shall  bear  me  away  far  hence» 
I  know  not  to  what  land,  but  perchance  to  one 
where  I  may  find  healing»  And  perchance,  fair 
uncle,  I  shall  serve  you  again  some  day  as  your 
harper,  and  your  huntsman,  and  your  good  vassal»^' 
131  He  entreated  so  sore,  that  King  Mark  yielded 
to  his  prayers»  He  carried  him  to  a  boat  without 
sail  or  oars,  and  Tristram  asked  only  that  his  harp 
should  be  laid  beside  him»  Of  what  use  were 
sails  to  him  whose  arms  could  not  have  hoisted 
them,  or  oars,  or  a  sword  ?  As  a  mariner  on  a 
long  voyage  throws  the  dead  body  of  a  former 
comrade  overboard,  so  Gorvenal  with  trembling 
hands  pushed  off  the  boat  in  which  his  dear  son 
lay,  and  the  sea  bore  him  hence»     ^  Seven  days 


21 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
and  seven  nights  it  bore  him  gently  along.  At 
times,  Tristram  played  his  harp  to  beguile  his  woe. 
At  last  the  sea  carried  him  towards  the  shore, 
without  his  knowledge*  Now  it  happened  that 
night  that  fishermen  had  put  out  from  the  port  to 
let  down  their  nets  in  the  open  sea,  and  they  were 
rowing,  when  they  heard  a  melody,  sweet  and  bold 
and  lively,  coming  to  them  upon  the  face  of  the 
waters.  They  listened  motionless,  their  oars 
upheld  over  the  waves,  and  in  the  first  whiteness 
of  dawn  they  beheld  the  wandering  bark.  **  Thus,^' 
said  they,  **  did  a  supernatural  music  enfold  the 
vessel  of  St.  Brendan,  when  it  sailed  towards  the 
Fortunate  Islands  on  a  sea  as  white  as  milk.'' 
They  rowed  after  the  boat  ;  it  was  drifting  with 
the  tide  and  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  living 
upon  it  save  the  voice  of  the  harp  ;  but  as  they 
approached,  the  melody  grew  fainter  ;  it  died  away  ; 
and  when  they  came  alongside,  Tristram's  hands 
had  fallen  powerless  upon  the  strings,  which  still 
trembled.  They  took  him  on  board  and  put  back 
into  the  port  to  take  the  wounded  man  to  their 
compassionate  lady,  thinking  she  might  haply  heal 
him.  ^  Alas  I  the  port  was  Wexford,  where 
lay  Marhaus,  and  their  lady  was  Iseult  the  Fair. 
She  alone,  cunning  in  the  use  of  philtre,  could 
save  Tristram;  but  she  alone  among  women 
desired    his    death.      When    Tristram     came     to 

22 


I. 


She   alone,  cunning  in   the    use   of  philtres,    could 

save  Tristram. 

Page  22 


SIR  MARHAUS  OF  IRELAND 
yL.  himself,  revived  by  her  art,  he  understood  that  the 
waves  had  cast  him  on  a  perilous  shore*  But 
bold  to  defend  his  life,  he  swiftly  found  fair  and 
cunning  words*  He  told  them  how  he  was  a 
minstrel  who  had  embarked  on  a  trading  vessel  ; 
he  was  going  to  Spain  to  teach  the  inhabitants  the 
art  of  reading  the  stars  ;  pirates  had  attacked  the 
vessel  ;  he  was  wounded  and  had  fled  in  the  boat* 
They  believed  him;  none  of  the  comrades  of 
Marhaus  recognised  the  gallant  knight  of  the 
Island  of  Saint  Samson,  for  the  poison  had 
disfigured  his  features*  But  when,  after  forty 
days,  Iseult  with  the  golden  hair  had  almost  cured 
him,  and  the  grace  of  youth  had  come  to  life 
again  in  his  supple  limbs,  he  saw  that  he  must 
fly  ;  he  escaped,  and  after  many  dangers,  he 
appeared  one  day  before  King  Mark* 


23 


% 


III.  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  FAIR  ONE 
WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 


En  po  d*ore  vos  ot  paièc 
O  la  parole  do  chevol 
Dont  je  ai  puis  eu  grant  dot 

LAI  DE  LA  FOLIE  TRISTAN 


EEING  then,  gentles, 

the  prowess  of  Tris^ 

tram,  and   the  great 

love    the   King   bore 

him,  four   barons  of 

the  court,  the  basest 

of    men,    hated    him 

with  a  fierce  hatred» 

And  I  can   tell   you 

their  names:  Andret, 

Guenelon,  Gondoïne, 

and   Denoalen*       Now    Duke    Andret    was,    like 

Tristram,  nephew  to  King  Mark»      Knowing  that 

the  King  had  it  in  his  mind  to  grow  old  without 

offspring  and  to  leave  his  kingdom  to  Tristram,  they 

were  filled  with  envy,  and  by  their  lies  they  excited 

the    great    men    of    Cornwall    against    Tristram» 

^  ''What  marvels  have  there  been  in  his  life  T' 

said  these  felons  ;   ''  but  you,  my  lords,  are  men  of 

understanding,  and  you  will  know  how  to  account 

for  these.     It  was  prodigious  enough  that  he  should 

have  prevailed  against  Marhaus  ;  but  what  enchant^ 

ments  can  have  enabled  him  to  sail  the  seas  alone, 

half  dead  ?     Which  of  us,  my  lords,  could  conduct 

a  ship  without  oars  or  sails  ?      Magicians  can  do 

these  things,  it  is  said»       Then,  in  what  land  of 

sorcery  did  he  find  healing  for  his  wounds  ?     Cer^ 

tainly,  he  is  a  magician»      Yes,  his  boat  and  his 

27 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
sword  were  fey,  and  his  harp,  which  daily  sheds 
fresh  poison  into  the  heart  of  King  Mark,  is  also 
-^  enchanted.      He  has  ensnared  that  heart  by  the 
power  and  charm  of  sorcery  1      He  will  be  King, 
my  lords,    and   ye  will   hold   your   lands  from  a 
magician/'     ^  Thus  they  persuaded  most  of  the 
.    barons,  for  many  men  know  not  that  the  marvels 
-y^  of  the  magicians  may  also  be  wrought  by  the  heart 
that  has  the  strength  of  love  and  courage.     So  the 
barons   urged  King  Mark  to  take  to  wife   some 
king's  daughter,  who  would  give  him  heirs  ;    and 
if  he  refused,  they  said,  then  would  they  withdraw 
into  their  castles  and  make  war  upon  him.     The 
King  resisted,  and  vowed  in  his  heart  that  as  long 
as  his  dear  nephew  lived  no  king's  daughter  should 
come  to  his  bed.     But  then  Tristram,  who  thought 
shame  that  men  should  believe  he  loved  his  uncle 
for  what  it   might    profit    him,  threatened  in  his 
turn  that,  unless  the  King  would  yield  to  his  barons, 
1^       he   would  quit   the   court,  and   enter   the    service 
■^   of  the  rich  King  of  Galvoie.     Then   King  Mark 
^V   fixed  a  term  with  his  nobles,  and  agreed  to  show 
^^    them  his  mind  in  forty  days.    ^  On  the  appointed 
day,  alone  in  his  chamber,  he  awaited  their  coming 
and  pondered  mournfully  :   ^*  Where  shall  I  hear  of 
a  king's  daughter  so  remote  and  inaccessible  that^ 
I  may  feign,  but  only  feign,  to  desire  her  for  my 
wife  ?"     €11  At  this  moment,  two  swallows  which 

28 


THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 

were  building  a  nest  flew  in  at  the  window  over^ 

looking  the  sea,  fighting,  and  flew  out  again   in 

alarm»     But  from  their  beaks  had  fallen  a  long 

hair,  finer  than  a  silken  thread,  and  glittering  as  a 

sunbeam.     I|  Mark  picked  it  up  ;   then  he  called 

for  Tristram  and   the  barons,  and  said  to  them  : 

^  **  To  please  you,  my  lords,  I  will  take  a  wife,  if 

you  will  bring  me  her  I  have  chosen/'     ^  ^^That 

will  we  do,  fair  liege  ;  who  is  this  lady  ?  ''     f^  ''I 

have  chosen  her  to  whom  this  golden  hair  belonged, 

and  know  that  I  will  have  none  other/'    ^  *^  And 

from  whence,  sir,  hast  thou  this  golden  hair  ?  who 

brought  it  to  thee  ?  and  from  what  country  did  it 

come  ?  ''     ^  ^^  It  comes,  my  lords,  from  the  Fair 

One  with  Golden  Hair  ;   two  swallows  brought  it 

to  me  ;    they  know  from  what   land/'     ^  The 

barons  saw  that  they  had  been  mocked  and  de^ 

ceived.     They  looked  despitefully  at  Tristram,  for 

they  suspected  him  of  having  counselled  this  device* 

But  Tristram,  looking  at  the  golden  hair,  recalled 

Iseult   the    Fair*       He   smiled    and    spoke    thus: 

^  ^^  King  Mark,  what  thou  doest  is  not  well,  and 

seest  thou  not  that  the  suspicions  of  these  gentle^ 

men  dishonour  me*      But  it  is  in  vain  that  thou 

hast  thought  to  deride  us,  for  I  will  go  in  quest  of 

the  Fair  One  with  Golden  Hair.    Know  that  this 

quest  is  a  perilous  one,  and  that  it  will  be  harder 

for  me  to  return  from  her  country  than  from  the 

29 


i 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
island  where  I  slew  Marhaus  ;  but  once  more  I 
will  adventure  my  body  and  my  life  for  thee,  fair 
uncle.  And  that  thy  barons  may  know  that  I  love 
thee  loyally,  I  pledge  my  faith  by  this  vow:  either 
I  will  die  in  the  enterprise,  or  I  will  bring  back  the 
Queen  with  the  golden  tresses  to  this  castle  of 
Tintagel/'  ^  Then  he  equipped  a  fair  ship,  and 
victualled  her  with  wheat  and  wine  and  honey  and 
all  good  provender.  And  in  it  he  embarked,  besides 
Gorvenal,  a  hundred  young  knights  of  high  lineage, 
chosen  from  among  the  bravest,  and  he  dressed 
them  in  frieze  tunics  and  in  coarse  woollen  cloaks, 
so  that  they  resembled  traders  ;  but  under  the  deck 
of  the  vessel  they  hid  the  rich  garments  of  cloth  of 
gold,  cendal,  and  scarlet,  which  beseem  the  mes^ 
sengers  of  a  powerful  king.  ^  When  the  ship  had 
set  sail,  the  pilot  asked  :  ^  *^  Fair  sir,  to  what 
country  shall  I  steer  ?  ''  ^  ^^  Friend,  steer  to  Ireland, 
straight  to  the  port  of  Wexford.''  ^  The  pilot 
trembled.  Did  not  Tristram  know  that  since  the 
death  of  Marhaus,  the  King  of  Ireland  gave  chase 
to  all  Cornish  vessels  ?  When  he  took  their  sailors, 
he  hung  them  from  forked  gallows.  Yet  the  pilot 
obeyed,  and  came  to  the  perilous  shore.  ^  Then 
Tristram  persuaded  the  men  of  Wexford  that  his 
companions  were  English  merchants,  come  to  trade 
peacefully.  But  as  these  strange  merchants  spent 
the  day  playing  the  lordly  games  of  draughts  and 
30 


THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 
chess,  and  seemed  apter  to  handle  the  dice  than  to 
measure  wheat,  Tristram  feared  to  be  discovered, 
and  knew  not  how  to  undertake  his  quest.  ^  Now 
one  morning  at  daybreak,  he  heard  a  voice  so 
terrible  that  it  might  have  been  the  yell  of  a  demon. 
Never  had  he  heard  a  beast  howl  in  a  fashion  so 
marvellous  and  so  horrible.  He  called  a  woman 
who  was  passing  on  the  shore  :  ^  **  Tell  us,''  he 
said,  *^fair  lady,  whence  comes  this  voice  that  I 
hear  ?  Hide  not  the  matter  from  me.''  ^  *^  Certes, 
sir,  I  will  tell  you  truly.  It  comes  from  a  proud 
beast  more  hideous  than  any  in  the  world.  Every 
day  he  comes  forth  from  his  den,  and  stops  at  one 
of  the  gates  of  the  city.  Then  none  may  go  forth 
or  come  in  until  a  young  girl  has  been  delivered  up 
to  the  dragon,  and  as  soon  as  he  has  her  in  his 
claws,  he  devours  her  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  say  a  paternoster."  ^  '^Lady,"  said  Tristram, 
*^mock  me  not,  but  tell  me  truly  if  it  were  possible 
for  a  man  born  of  woman  to  slay  the  monster  ?  " 
^  ^^  Certes,  fair  sir,  I  know  not  ;  but  it  is  certain 
that  twenty  approved  knights  have  already  adven^ 
tured  themselves  against  him  ;  for  the  King  of 
Ireland  has  proclaimed  by  herald  that  he  will  give 
his  daughter,  Iseult  the  Fair,  to  him  who  shall  kill 
the  monster;  but  the  dragon  has  devoured  them 
all."  ^  Tristram  left  the  woman  and  returned  to 
his  ship.     He  armed  himself  in  secret,  and  it  would 

3i 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
have  been  a  gallant  sight  to  behold  such  a  costly- 
war  horse  and  such  a  proud  knight  coming  forth 
from  the  vessel  of  those  merchants.  But  the  port 
was  deserted,  for  day  was  but  beginning  to  break, 
and  none  saw  the  valiant  youth  riding  to  the  gate 
the  woman  had  shown  him.  Suddenly,  five  men 
came  riding  down  the  road  with  loose  reins,  spurring 
their  horses,  and  fleeing  towards  the  town.  As 
they  passed  him,  Tristram  seized  one  of  them  by 
his  plaited  red  hair  so  roughly  that  he  threw  him 
back  on  his  horse^s  croup  and  stopped  him  : 
t|  ^*  God  save  you,  fair  sir  I  ^^  said  Tristram,  **  by 
which  road  is  the  dragon  coming  ?  ^^  ^  And  when 
the  fugitive  had  shown  him  the  way,  Tristram  re^ 
leased  him.  ^  The  monster  drew  near.  He  had 
the  head  of  a  bear,  his  eyes  were  red  as  live  coals, 
he  had  two  horns  on  his  forehead,  long  hairy  ears, 
lion^s  claws,  a  serpent's  tail,  and  the  scaly  body  of 
a  griffin.  ^  Tristram  spurred  his  horse  against  him 
with  such  fury  that  the  steed,  though  his  hair 
bristled  with  terror,  rushed  against  the  monster. 
Tristram's  lance  struck  against  the  scales  and 
shivered  to  splinters.  Then  the  champion  drew 
his  sword,  lifted  it  and  brought  it  down  upon  the 
dragon's  head,  but  it  did  not  so  much  as  scratch 
the  skin.  Nevertheless,  the  monster  felt  the  blow; 
he  struck  at  Tristram's  shield  with  his  claws,  grip^ 
ping  it  and  tearing  it  away  from  the  fastenings. 

32 


Tristram  spurred  his  horse  against  him  with  such 

fury  .  .  . 

Page  3a 


;>iib  v\Si' 


os\   ^in   v..':n'\si 


THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 

Then,  his  breast  being  uncovered,  Tristram  again 

had  recourse  to  his  sword,  and  struck  the  dragon 

so  shrewd  a  blow  upon  the  flanks  that  it  echoed 

again.      But  all  in  vain,  for  he  could  not  wound 

the  beast.     Then  the  dragon  belched  forth  a  double 

stream    of    poisonous    flame    from    his    nostrils  ; 

Tristram^s  hauberk  became  black  as  a  dead  coal  ; 

his  horse  fell  to  the  ground  and  died.    But  Tristram, 

springing  to  his  feet,  thrust  his  good  sword  into 

the  monster ^s  jaws  ;    it  pierced  right  down  to  his 

heart  and  cut  it  in  twain.     The  dragon  uttered  his 

hideous  cry  once  more  and  died.     ^  Then  Tristram 

cut  out  his  tongue,  and  put  it  in  his  hose.     And 

being  dizzy  with  the  acrid  smoke,  he  went  towards 

a  stagnant  pool  he  saw  gleaming  a  little  way  off, 

to  drink.     But  the  poison  distilled  by  the  dragon's 

tongue  enflamed  his  body,  and   the    hero   fell    in 

a   swoon   among   the  tall   grasses   of  the  marsh. 

^  Now  you  must  know  that  the  red-haired  fugitive 

was  Aguynguerran  the  Red,  seneschal  of  the  King 

of  Ireland,  and  that  he  coveted    Iseult   the   Fair. 

He  was  a  coward,  but  such  is  the  power  of  love 

that  every  morning  he  lay  in  ambush,  armed,  to 

assail  the  monster  ;     yet  when  he  heard  his  cry 

from  afar,  he  took  to  flight.    On  that  day,  he  took 

courage,  and  retraced  his  steps,  with  his  four  com*- 

panions.      He   found   the   slain   dragon,  the   dead 

horse,  the  broken  shield,  and  he  supposed  the  victor 

c  33 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
was  dying  in  some  neighbouring  place*  So  he  cut] 
off  the  head  of  the  dragon,  bore  it  to  the  King,  and 
claimed  the  promised  reward»  ^  The  King  could] 
not  believe  in  his  valour,  but  wishing  to  do  justice, 
he  summoned  his  vassals  to  come  to  the  court 
after  three  days,  and  the  seneschal  Aguynguerran 
was  cited  to  furnish  proof  of  his  victory  before  the 
assembled  barons»  ^^I  When  Iseult  the  Fair  heard 
that  she  was  to  be  given  to  this  coward,  at  first 
she  laughed  aloud,  and  then  she  lamented»  But 
on  the  next  day,  suspecting  some  deceit,  she  took 
with  her  her  servant,  Perinis,  the  faithful  and  fair^ 
haired,  and  Bragwaine,  her  young  maid  and  com-* 
panion,  and  all  three  rode  secretly  to  the  monster's 
den,  and  on  the  way  Iseult  took  note  of  strange 
hoof ^marks  ;  and  she  thought  that  the  horse  which 
had  made  them  had  not  been  shod  in  that  country» 
Then  she  found  the  monster  without  its  head,  and 
the  dead  horse  ;  and  the  horse  was  not  caparisoned 
after  the  fashion  of  Ireland»  Certainly  a  stranger 
had  slain  the  dragon  ;  but  was  he  still  alive  ? 
^  Iseult,  Perinis,  and  Bragwaine  sought  him  long  ; 
and  at  length  Bragwaine  saw  the  helmet  of  the 
valiant  knight  gleaming  in  the  marsh.  He  still 
breathed.  Perinis  took  him  on  his  horse  and 
carried  him  secretly  to  the  women's  chambers. 
There  Iseult  related  the  adventure  to  her  mother, 
and  confided  the  stranger  to  her  care.  And  when 
34 


THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 
the  Queen  took  off  his  armour,  the  venomous 
tongue  of  the  dragon  fell  from  his  hose»  Then  the  y 
Queen  of  Ireland  restored  the  wounded  man  by  the 
virtue  of  a  herb  and  said  to  him  :  ^  *^  Stranger,  I 
know  that  thou  didst  slay  the  dragon.  But  our 
seneschal,  a  felon  and  a  coward,  cut  off  his  head, 
and  he  cl'  ims  my  daughter  Iseult  for  his  reward. 
Shalt  thou  be  able  to  prove  his  falsehood  in  two 
days^  time  in  battle  ?  ^  ^^  Queen,^'  replied  Tristram, 
^^the  time  is  short.  But  you  can  doubtless  heal 
me  in  two  days.  I  took  Iseult  from  the  dragon  ; 
perchance  I  shall  take  her  from  the  seneschal.^^ 
^  Then  the  Queen  lodged  him  sumptuously,  and 
brewed  healing  potions  for  him.  On  the  following 
day  Iseult  the  Fair  prepared  him  a  bath  and  gently 
anointed  his  body  with  a  balm  her  mother  had 
made.  Her  eyes  rested  on  the  face  of  the 
wounded  man  ;  she  saw  that  he  was  comely, 
and  she  began  to  think  :  ^^  Truly,  if  his  valour 
be  equal  to  his  beauty,  my  champion  will 
fight  lustily.'^  But  Tristram,  restored  by  the 
warmth  of  the  water  and  the  strength  of  the 
aromatics,  looked  at  her,  and  remembering  that  he 
had  won  the  Queen  with  the  Golden  Hair,  he 
smiled  to  himself.  Iseult  noted  it  and  said  :  **  Why 
did  this  stranger  smile  ?  Have  I  done  aught  that 
was    unseemly  ?     Have   I   neglected    any    of    the 

services  due  from  a  maiden  to  her  guest  ?     Yes, 

35 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEUVf-y^ 
he  laughs  perhaps  because  I  have  forg<Jtteii  to  clean 
his  arms,  tarnished  by  the  venom  of  the  dragon/^ 
^  So  she  came  where  Tristram's  cirmour  was 
bestowed^  ^*  This  helmet  is  of  fine  steel/'  she 
thought,  ^^  and  will  not  fail  him  at  need^  And  this 
hauberk  is  strong  and  light,  and  fit  to  be  worn  by 
a  valiant  knight/'  Then  she  took  the.  sword  by 
the  hilt*  ^^  Truly  this  is  a  fair  sword  and  meet  for 
a  brave  baron/'  Then  she  drew  it  out  of  the  rich 
sheath,  to  wipe  the  bloody  blade,  and  she  saw  that 
a  piece  of  the  steel  was  broken  away*  She  noted 
the  shape  of  the  breach  ;  was  not  this  the  blade 
that  had  broken  in  the  head  of  Sir  Marhaus  ?  She 
hesitated,  looked  again,  and  resolved  to  set  her 
doubts  at  rest*  So  she  came  to  her  chamber,  where 
she  kept  the  fragment  of  steel  that  had  been  taken 
from  the  skull  of  Sir  Marhaus*  She  fitted  the 
fragment  into  the  breach,  and  it  could  scarcely  be 
seen  that  it  had  been  broken*  ^  Then  she 
came  in  haste  to  Tristram,  and  waved  the  great 
sword  over  his  head,  crying  :  ^  ^^Thou  art  Tristram 
of  Lyonnesse,  the  murderer  of  Marhaus,  my  dear 
uncle*  Die  then  in  thy  turn  !  "  ^  Tristram  sought 
to  stay  her  arm,  but  in  vain  ;  his  body  was  powers 
less,  but  his  tongue  remained  cunning*  So  he 
spoke  skilfully  :  ^  ''  Be  it  so,  I  will  die  ;  but  if 
thou  wouldst  not  suffer  a  long  remorse,  listen* 
Princess,  know  that  thou  hast  not  only  the  power 
36 


THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 

but  the  right  to  kill  me.     Yes,  thou  hast  a  right 

to  my  life,  for  twice  hast  thou  preserved  it  and 

given  it  back  to  me.     The  first  time,  of  yore  ;  I 

was  the  wounded  minstrel  thou  didst  save  when 

thou  drewest  out  the  venom  of    Marhaus'  lance 

from    my    body.     Blush    not,    maiden,    for    that 

thou  didst  heal  these  wounds  ;  did  I  not  receive 

them  in  fair  fight  ?  did  I  kill  Marhaus  treacherously? 

had  he  not  defied  me  ?  and  should  I  not  defend  my 

body  ?  The  second  time  thou  didst  save  me  when 

thou  didst  find  me  in  the  marsh.     And  it  was  for 

thee,   maiden,  that  I   slew  the  dragon.   .  .   .  But 

enough  of  these  things  ;  I  would  but  show  thee 

that   thou  hast  a  right  to  my  life,  having  twice 

delivered  me  from  death.     Slay  me  then,  if  it  will 

be  to  thy  praise  and  glory.     Doubtless,  when  thou 

liest  in  the  arms  of  thy  doughty  seneschal,  it  will 

be  sweet  to  remember  thy  wounded  guest,  who 

risked  his  life  to  win  thee,  and  did  win  thee,  and 

whom  thou  slewest  when  he  lay  helpless  in  the 

bath.''     ^  Iseuh  cried  :     I^I  ''  These  be  strange 

words   that   I   hear.     Why   did    the    murderer    of 

Marhaus  seek  to  win  me  ?     Ah  !  doubtless  it  was 

because   Marhaus   once   sought   to   carry   off  the 

maidens  of  Cornwall  on  his  ship,  and  so  thou,  in 

thy  turn,  wouldst  vaunt  thyself,  that  by  way  of 

reprisal  thou  hast  carried  off  as  thy  serf  the  maiden 

whom    Marhaus     cherished    above     all     others. 

37 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
^  ^^  Not  sOf  Princess/'  said  Tristram.  ^^  But  one 
day  two  swallows  flew  to  Tintagel,  and  carried 
thither  one  of  thy  golden  hairs*  I  deemed  that 
they  came  as  heralds  of  peace  and  love.  This  is 
why  I  am  come  to  seek  thee  across  the  seas,  and 
why  I  braved  the  monster  and  his  venom.  Look 
at  this  hair  sewed  among  the  gold  threads  of  my 
surcoat;  the  gold  of  the  threads  is  tarnished,  but 
not  the  gold  of  thy  hair."'  ^  Iseult  threw  down  the 
great  sword  and  took  Tristram's  surcoat  in  her 
hands.  She  saw  the  golden  hair,  and  was  silent 
for  a  long  while  ;  then  she  kissed  her  guest  on 
the  lips  in  token  of  peace,  and  dressed  him  in 
rich  raiment.  ^  On  the  day  of  assembly  of  the 
barons,  Tristram  sent  Perinis,  Iseult's  servant, 
secretly  to  the  ship,  bidding  his  comrades  to  come  to 
the  court,  arrayed  as  is  seemly  for  the  messengers 
of  a  great  king  ;  for  he  hoped  on  that  same  day  to 
come  to  the  issue  of  his  adventure.  Gorvenal  and 
the  hundred  knights  had  lamented  the  loss  of 
Tristram  four  days  ;  they  rejoiced  greatly  at  the 
tidings.  ^  One  by  one  they  entered  the  hall  where 
barons  of  Ireland  without  number  were  assembled. 
They  sat  in  a  row  side  by  side,  and  the  jewels 
sparkled  on  their  rich  vesture  of  scarlet  and  cendal 
and  purple.  The  Irishmen  said  one  to  another  : 
^  **  Who  are  these  lordly  knights  ?  Who  knows 
them  ?  Look  at  their  sumptuous  mantles,  rich 
38 


THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 

with  sable  and  embroideries»    See  how  the  hilts  of 

their  swords,  the  clasps  of  their  mantles,  gleam 

with    rubies,    beryls,    emeralds    and    many    other 

stones  we  know  not.     Which  of  us  has  ever  seen 

such  splendour  ?     Whence   come  these  knights  ? 

Whose     men     are    they  ?  ^'      But    the    hundred 

knights   held  their  peace,   nor  moved  from   their 

seats  for  any  that  entered»     ^  When  the  King  of 

Ireland  was  seated  upon  the  dais,  the  seneschal, 

Aguynguerran    the     Red,    offered    to    prove     by 

witnesses,  and  to  maintain  by  combat  that  he  had 

killed  the  monster,  and  that  Iseult   ought   to   be 

delivered    to    him»     Then    Iseult    bowed    herself 

before  her  father  and  said  :  ^  ^^  King,  here  is  a  man 

who  declares  that  he  will  convict  our  seneschal  of 

falsehood  and  felony»     Whatever  this   man   may 

have  done  of  evil  in  the  past,  wilt  thou  promise 

to  pardon  him  who  is  ready  to  prove  that  he  saved 

thy  land  from  the  scourge,  and  that  thy  daughter 

ought  not   to   be   delivered   into   the   hands   of   a 

coward  ?  ^'    ^  The  King  pondered  the  matter,  and 

was  in  no   haste   to  answer»     Then   his    barons 

cried    with    one   accord  :  ^  ^^  Grant    this  pardon, 

sire,  grant  it  T'    ^  And  the  King  said  :  ^  'M  grant 

it»''     ^But    Iseult,    kneeling   at    his    feet,    said: 

*^  Father,   first   give    me    the   kiss   of    mercy   and 

peace  in  token  that  thou  wilt  also  give  it  to  this 

man.''     C|  When  she   had  received  the   kiss   she 

39 


\  \ 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
went  to  fetch  Tristram,  and  led  him  in  by  the  hand. 
At  the  sight  of  him  the  hundred  knights  rose  to 
their  feet,  saluted  him  with  their  arms  crossed  on 
their  breasts,  and  ranged  themselves  on  either  side 
of  him.  So  the  Irishmen  saw  he  was  their  lord. 
But  many  recognised  him  then,  and  a  great  cry 
arose  :  *^  It  is  Tristram  of  Lyonnesse,  the  murderer 
of  Marhaus  1  ''  Naked  swords  flashed  in  the  air, 
and  angry  voices  shouted  :  *^  Death  to  him  I  '" 
^  But  Iseult  cried  :  ^^  Father,  kiss  this  man  on 
the  mouth,  according  to  thy  promise.^^  I|  Then 
the  King  kissed  him  on  the  mouth  and  the  clamour 
abated.  ^  And  Tristram  showed  the  tongue  of 
the  dragon,  and  offered  to  do  battle  with  the 
seneschal,  who  dared  not  accept  the  challenge  and 
confessed  his  misdeed.  Then  Tristram  spoke  thus  : 
^  ''  My  lords,  I  killed  Marhaus  ;  but  I  have 
crossed  the  seas  to  make  you  fair  amends.  To 
atone  for  that  fault,  I  have  adventured  my  body  and 
delivered  you  from  the  monster,  and  I  have  won 
Iseult  the  Fair^haired,  the  Beautiful.  And  since  I 
have  won  her,  I  will  carry  her  away  in  my  ship. 
But  that  there  may  henceforth  be  love  and  not 
hatred  between  the  countries  of  Ireland  and  of 
Cornwall,  know  that  my  dear  lord.  King  Mark, 
will  marry  her.  Here  are  a  hundred  knights  of 
high  degree,  ready  to  swear  to  you  on  the  relics  of 
the  saints  that  King  Mark  greets  you  in  peace  and 
40 


THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH  GOLDEN  HAIR 
love,  that  it  is  his  desire  to  honour  Iseult  as  his 
beloved  consort,  and  that  all  the  men  of  Cornwall 
will  serve  her  as  their  Queen  and  lady/'  ^  The 
holy  relics  were  brought  with  great  rejoicing,  and 
the  hundred  knights  swore  that  Tristram  had  spoken 
truly*  ^  Then  the  King  took  Iseult  by  the  hand, 
and  asked  Tristram  if  he  would  convey  her  loyally  to 
his  lord»  And  Tristram  swore  so  to  do  before  the 
barons  of  Ireland»  Iseult  the  Fair  trembled  with 
shame  and  anguish.  For  Tristram,  who  had  won 
her,  scorned  her;  the  sweet  tale  of  the  golden  hair 
was  a  lie,  and  he  was  to  give  her  up  to  another.  .  .  ♦ 
But  the  King  laid  Iseult's  right  hand  in  Tristram's, 
and  Tristram  held  it  fast  in  token  that  he  took 
possession  of  her  in  the  name  of  the  King  of  Corn^ 
wall.  ^  Thus,  for  love  of  King  Mark,  Tristram,  by  / 
guile  and  by  prowess,  achieved  the  quest  of  the 
Queen  with  the  Golden  Hair. 


41 


/ 


IV.  THE  PHILTRE 


Nein,  ezn  "was  niht  mit  ivine, 
doch  ez  im  glich  'waere, 
ez  Hjoas  diu  Hjjcrnde  swasre, 
diu  endetose  herzenot 
von  der  si  beide  Ugen  tot. 

GOTTFRIED  OF  STRASBURG 


NE  day,  as  the  time 

drew  near  that  Iseult 

should    be    given    in 

charge  to  the  knights 

of    Cornwall,    her 

mother     gathered 

herbs,    flowers     and 

roots,     mixed     them 

with      wine,      and 

brewed     a    powerful 

potion»  When  she  had 

finished  it  by  science  and  by  magic,  she  poured  it 

into  a  phial,  and  gave  it  secretly  to  Bragwaine, 

saying  :  ^  ^^  Girl,  thou  art  to  follow  Iseult  into  the 

land  of  King  Mark,  and  thou  lovest  her  faithfully» 

Take  therefore  this  phial  of  wine,  and  remember  my 

words»     Hide  it  in  such  wise  that  no  eye  may  see 

it  and  no  lip  may  come  near  it»     But  when  the 

wedding  night  comes,  at  the  moment  when  thou 

leavest  the  wedded  pair,  pour  this  aromatic  wine 

into  a  cup  and  give  it  to  King  Mark  and  to  Queen 

Iseult  to  drink  together»     See  to  it,  my  daughter, 

that  they  alone  taste  this  potion,  for  such  is  its 

virtue   that   they   who    drink  it  together  will  love 

each  other  with  all  their  senses  and  all  their  minds 

for   ever,   in  life   and    in    death»""     .^Bragwaine 

promised  the  Queen  that  she  would  do  according  to 

her  will.      ^^  The  ship,  cutting  through  the  deep 

45 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
waves,  carried  Iseult  hence*  But  the  farther  it 
.  went  from  the  shores  of  Ireland,  the  more  did  the 
maiden  lament*  Seated  in  the  pavilion  whither  she 
had  withdrawn  herself  with  her  waiting^woman, 
she  wept  as  she  thought  of  her  country*  Whither 
were  these  strangers  taking  her?  To  whom? 
To  what  fate  ?  When  Tristram  approached  her, 
and  sought  to  soothe  her  with  gentle  words,  she 
was  angry,  she  repulsed  him,  and  her  heart  swelled 
with  hatred*  He  had  come,  the  ravisher,  the 
murderer  of  Marhaus  ;  he  had  torn  her  from  her 
mother  and  her  country  by  his  arts  ;  he  had  not 
deigned  to  keep  her  for  himself,  and  now  he  was 
^  carrying  her  off,  his  prey,  to  a  hostile  land*  ^^  Woe 
is  me,^^  she  cried,  **  cursed  be  the  sea  that  carries 
me  I  Rather  would  I  die  in  the  land  of  my  birth 
than  live  in  yonder  country  I  "'  ^  Then  on  a  day 
the  wind  dropped  and  the  sails  hung  loose  along 
the  mast*  Tristram  gave  orders  to  land  on  an 
island,  and,  weary  of  the  sea,  the  hundred  knights 
of  Cornwall  and  the  sailors  came  gladly  to  shore. 
Iseult  alone  remained  in  the  ship  with  a  little 
serving^wench*  Then  came  Tristram  to  the  Queen, 
and  essayed  to  calm  her  heart*  Now  as  the  sun 
was  burning  and  they  were  athirst,  they  asked  for 
drink*  And  the  wench  sought  for  wine  and 
found  the  phial  Iseult's  mother  had  given  to 
Bragwaine.  *^  I  have  found  wine,''  cried  she. 
46 


At  this  moment  Bragwaine  entered,  and  saw  how  they 
gazed  at  each  other  in  silence,  ravished  and  amazed. 

Page  47 


.11   the    ship    with   a 
.xi  came  Tristram  to  the  Qu 
'  m  her  heart*     Now  as  the  ; 
iid  they  were  athirst,  they  asked 
f    the    wench    sought    for    wine    2 
phial    Iseuh's    mother    had    given 
^me.       *^  I    have    found   wine/'    cried 


c 


THE  PHILTRE 

But  no,   it   was   not  wine,   it   was    passion,    and 

bitter   joy,    and  anguish  without  end,  and   death. 

The  girl  filled  a  goblet  and  gave  it  to  her  mistress. 

She    drank    a    deep    draught    and    handed     it     to 

Tristram,    and   he   drained    the    cup.)    ^  At    this 

moment,  Bragwaine  entered,  and   saw   how   they 

gazed    at    each    other    in     silence,     ravished    and 

amazed.      She  saw  the  phial  almost  empty  before 

them,  and  the  goblet.     Then  she  took  the  phial 

and  ran  to  the  poop  and  threw  it  into  the  waves, 

crying  :  ^  **  Woe  is  me  I  cursed  be  the  day  that  I 

was  born  and  the  day  that  I  came  upon  this  ship. 

Iseult,  my  dear  one,  and  you,  Tristram,  it  is  death 

that  ye  have  drunk.''     ^  Then  the  ship  sailed  on 

to  Tintagel.     And  it  seemed   to  Tristram  that  a 

lusty  brier  with  sharp  thorns  and  scented  flowers 

was  striking  its  roots  into  the  blood  of  his  heart, 

and  binding  his  body,  and  all  his  thoughts,  and  all 

his  desires  with  strong  ligaments  to  the  fair  body 

of  Iseult.     And  he  thought  :   *^  Andret,  Denoalen, 

Guenelon,  and  Gondoine,  felons  who  accused  me  of 

coveting  King  Mark's  lands,  I  am  yet  viler  than 

ye  thought,  and  it  is   not   his   land   that   I    covet. 

Fair  uncle,  who  lovedst  me,  the  orphan,  even  before 

thou  knewest  me  the  son  of  thy  sister  Blanchefleur, 

weeping  for  me  when  thine  arms  bore  me  to  the 

boat   without   oars   or   sails,   why  didst  thou  not 

drive  away  the   waif  who   came   to  betray  thee  ? 

47 


I 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
Ah  !  what  am  I  thinking  ?  Iseult  is  thy  wife  and  I 
am  thy  vassal,  Iseuh  is  thy  wife  and  I  am  thy  son, 
Iseult  is  thy  wife  and  cannot  love  me/^  ^  But 
Iseult  loved  him.  Yet  she  wished  to  hate  him  ; 
had  he  not  vilely  disdained  her  ?  She  wished  to 
^  hate  him,  and  she  could  not,  and  her  heart  was 
^  sore  with  this  tenderness  which  was  more  painful 
than  hate*  ^  Bragwaine  observed  them  with 
anguish,  suffering  yet  more  cruelly,  for  she  knew 
what  evil  she  had  caused.  For  two  days  she 
watched  them,  and  saw  them  repulsing  all  nourish^ 
ment,  all  drink,  and  all  comfort,  seeking  each  other 
like  blind  creatures  feeling  their  way,  wretched  when 
they  languished  apart,  more  wretched  still  when, 
together,  they  trembled  before  the  terror  of  the 
first  avowaL  ^  On  the  third  day,  as  Tristram  was 
coming  towards  the  pavilion  that  was  set  on  the 
deck  of  the  ship,  where  Iseult  was  seated,  Iseult  saw 
him  approaching,  and  she  said  humbly  :  ^  ^*  Enter, 
my  lord/'  IJ  ^^  Queen,''  replied  Tristram,  ^^  why  dost 
thou  call  me  lord  ?  Am  I  not  thy  liegeman,  thy 
vassal,  to  honour  thee,  to  serve  thee  and  to  love  thee 
as  my  Queen  and  lady  ?  "  CjThen  Iseult  answered: 
^  ^^  No,  thou  knowest  well  that  thou  art  my  lord 
and  my  master.  Thou  knowest  that  thy  power  rules 
me,  and  that  I  am  thy  slave.  Ah  I  why  did  I  not  let 
the  wounded  minstrel  bleed  to  death  ?  Why  did  I 
not  leave  the  slayer  of  the  dragon  to  perish  in  the 
48 


THE  PHILTRE 
marsh  ?  Why  did  I  not  smite  him  in  the  bath 
with  the  blade  I  held  ready  above  his  head  ?  Alas  ! 
I  knew  not  then  what  now  I  know  l^'  ^  ^^  Iseult, 
what  knowest  thou  now  ?  What  is  it  that  grieves 
thee  ?  '^  ^^^  Ah,  all  that  I  know  grieves  me,  and 
all  that  I  see*  The  sky  above  me  and  the  sea 
around,  and  my  body  and  my  life  I  '^  ^  Then  she 
laid  her  arm  on  Tristram's  shoulder;  tears  quenched 
the  brightness  of  her  eyes,  her  lips  trembled»  And 
he  repeated  :  ^  ^^  Dear  one,  what  is  it  that  tortures 
thee  ?  '^  ^  She  answered  :  ^^  The  love  of  thee/' 
^  Then  he  pressed  his  lips  to  hers.  And  as  they 
tasted  the  joy  of  love  for  the  first  time,  Bragwaine, 
who  had  been  watching  them,  uttered  a  cry, 
and  with  arms  outstretched,  and  tears  on  her 
face,  she  fell  at  their  feet,  crying  :  ^  ^*  Un^ 
happy  ones  !  stop,  and  turn  back,  if  yet  there 
be  time  !  But  no,  there  is  no  return  on  this  path, 
the  power  of  love  already  bears  you  away,  and 
never  again  ^dlij^ou-jtaste  joy  withouLgâin*  It  is  ' 
the~âï^matîc~wîné^tEat  possesses  you,  the  wine  that 
Iseult  the  Queen  gave  to  my  keeping*  King  Mark 
alone  was  to  have  drunk  of  it  with  you  ;  but  the 
Evil  One  has  mocked  us,  and  Tristram  drained  the 
goLlet*  Dear  Tristram,  dear  Iseult,  I  offer  you  my 
body  and  my  life  in  atonement  for  the  evil  guard  I 

kept,  for  by  my  fault  you  drank  iove.,jiid_d^ath-in ' 

the  accursed  cup  !  ''     ^  The  lovers  clasped  each 


D  49      ^ 


»/ 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
other  ;  desire  and  life  quivered  in  their  fair  bodies. 
And  Tristram  said  :  €Jf  ^^  Then  come,  death  !  '' 
^  And  when  night  fell,  bound  for  ever,  they  gave 
themselves  up  to  love,  on  the  ship  that  bore  them 
swiftly  to  the  land  of  King  Mark. 


50 


V.  BRAGWAINE  GIVEN  OVER  TO 
THE  SERFS 


Sobre  toz  âvraigrân  vâtor 
S'àitâls  camisâ  m^es  dâda 
Cum  Iseus  det  a  Vâmâdor 
Que  mais  non  età  portâdâ 

RAMBAUT,  COUNT  OF  ORANGE 


Eighteen  days  from  that  time,  having  convoked  all 

his  barons,  he  took  Iseult  the  Pair  to  wife. 

Page  53 


HADING  Iseult  the 
Fair  by  the  hand, 
Tristram  delivered 
her  o  the  King,  who 
awaited  her  on  the 
shore,  and  the  King 
took  possession  of 
her,  clasping  her 
hand  in  his  turn» 
Then  he  led  her  with 
great  honour  to 
Tintagel,  and  when  she  appeared  in  the  hall  in  the 
midst  of  the  vassals,  her  beauty  shed  such  a  radiance 
that  the  walls  were  illumined  as  if  the  rising  sun 
had  touched  them.  Then  King  Mark  praised  the 
swallows,  who  of  their  courtesy  had  brought  him 
the  golden  hair  ;  he  praised  Tristram  and  the 
hundred  knights,  who  had  gone  on  the  adventurous 
ship  in  quest  of  the  joy  of  his  eyes  and  his  heart. 
Alas  I  to  you  also,  noble  King,  that  ship  brought 
bitter  sorrow  and  torment.  ^  Eighteen  days  from 
that  time,  having  convoked  all  his  barons,  he  took 
Iseult  the  Fair  to  wife.  But  when  night  fell, 
Bragwaine,  in  order  to  hide  the  Queen's  dishonour 
and  to  save  her  from  death,  took  her  place  in  the 
bridal  bed.  In  atonement  for  the  evil  guard  she 
had  kept  on  the  ship  and  for  love  of  her  mistre3S, 
the  faithful  follower  sacrificed  the  purity  of  her  body; 


4- 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
the  darkness  hid  her  shame  and  her  deceit  from  the 
King»  ^  Here  the  chroniclers  relate  that  Bragwaine 
had  not  thrown  the  half-'empty  phial  into  the  sea, 
but  that  in  the  morning,  after  her  lady  in  her 
turn  had  come  into  King  Mark's  bed,  Bragwaine 
poured  into  a  goblet  the  rest  of  the  philtre,  and 
gave  it  to  the  pair,  that  Mark  drank  deep  of  it,  and 
that  Iseult  threw  away  her  draught  secretly»  But 
know,  gentles,  that  these  chroniclers  have  corrupted 
and  falsified  the  story.  They  invented  this  fable, 
because  they  understood  not  the  marvellous  love 
King  Mark  bore  always  to  the  Queen.  Certes, 
as  you  shall  presently  see,  never  could  King  Mark 
drive  Tristram  or  Iseult  from  his  heart,  in  spite 
of  anguish  and  suffering  and  terrible  reprisals, 
but  know,  gentles,  that  he  never  tasted  the  magic 
wine.  Neither  poison  nor  magic,  but  the  noble 
tenderness  of  his  heart  inspired  his  love*  Q  So 
Iseult  was  Queen,  and  to  all  seeming  she  lived 
Joyously.  Iseult  was  Queen,  and  she  lived  in 
sadness.  Iseult  had  the  love  of  Mark  the  King, 
the  barons  honoured  her,  and  the  poor  cherished 
her.  Iseult  spent  the  day  in  rooms  richly  painted 
and  strewn  with  flowers  ;  she  had  splendid  Jewels, 
hangings  of  purple,  and  carpets  from  Thessaly,  the 
songs  of  harpers,  and  curtains  worked  with  devices 
of  leopards,  eagles,  parrots,  and  all  the  beasts  of 
the  sea  and  of  the  woods*  Iseult  had  her  fair  and 
54 


BRAGWAINE  GIVEN  OVER  TO  THE  SERFS 
lively  love,  and  Tristram  at  leisure  beside  her,  day 
and  night,  for  as  is  the  custom  among  great  lords, 
he  slept  in  the  royal  chamber,  among  the  King's 
trusty  and  beloved  retainers.     Yet  Iseult  trembled. 
Why  did  she  tremble  ?  Were  not  their  loves  hidden  ?         . 
Who  would  suspect  Tristram  ?   Would  any  suspect      ^ 
a  son  ?      Who  saw  him  ?      Who  watched  him  ? 
What  witness  was  there  ?  Yes,  there  was  a  witness 
who    watched,    Bragwaine  ;     Bragwaine   observed 
her,  Bragwaine  alone  knew  her  life,  Bragwaine  held 
them  at  her  mercy.    What,  O  God  I  if  Bragwaine, 
tired  of  preparing  daily  the  bed  in  which  she  had 
been  the  first  to  lie,  should  denounce  them  to  the 
King  ?    If  Tristram  should  die  for  his  felony?  .  .  . 
Thus  fear  took  possession  of  the  Queen.     Yet  it 
was  not  the  faithful  Bragwaine,  but  her  own  heart      p 
which  tormented  her.     Listen,  gentles,  to  the  great 
treachery  she  devised;   but  as  you  will  hear,  God 
had  pity  on  her;  be  ye  therefore  likewise  merciful  , 
to  her.    CJ  It  was  on  a  day  when  Tristram  and  the 
King  were  hunting  at  a  distance,  so  Tristram  knew 
not  of  this  crime.     Iseult  sent  for  two  serfs,  and 
promised  them    their   freedom    and    sixty    golden 
besants,  if  they  would  swear  to  do  her  will.     So 
they  swore.  ^  ^^  I  will  give  you,''shesaid,  ^^a  certain 
young  girl.     You  are  to  take  her  into  the  forest 
— far  or  near  as  you  will,  but  to  a  spot  where 
none  shall  ever  discover  the  adventure — and  there 

55 


4 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
you  shall  kill  her,  and  bring  me  her  tongue*  Re^ 
member  all  her  words,  and  report  them  to  me*  Go. 
When  you  return  you  will  be  rich  men  and  free/' 
^  Then  she  called  Bragwaine  :  ^  ^^  Friend/'  said 
she,  *^thou  seest  how  I  pine  and  languish;  go  into  the 
forest  and  gather  the  plants  that  will  cure  this 
malady*  Here  are  two  serfs  to  guide  thee,  they 
know  where  grow  the  right  simples.  Follow  them  ; 
know,  sister,  that  if  I  send  thee  into  the  forest,  it 
is  because  my  peace  and  my  life  are  in  danger.'' 
^  Then  the  serfs  led  Bragwaine  away.  And  when 
she  was  come  into  the  forest,  she  would  have  halted, 
for  healing  herbs  grew  around  her  in  abundance.  But 
they  led  her  farther,  saying  :  ^  ^^  Come,  maiden, 
this  is  not  the  best  place."  ^  One  of  the  serfs 
walked  in  front  of  her,  his  companion  followed  after 
her.  Then  they  came  where  there  was  no  path, 
ut  brambles  and  thorns  and  thistles  intertwined* 
Here  the  man  who  was  walking  in  front  turned  and 
drew  his  sword  ;  she  ran  back  to  the  other  to  beg 
for  succour  ;  but  he  also  held  a  naked  sword  in  his 
hand  and  said  :  ^  ^^  Maiden,  we  must  slay  thee  I  " 
IQI  Bragwaine  fell  on  the  grass  and  tried  to  ward  off 
the  points  of  the  swords  with  her  arms.  She  begged 
for  mercy  in  a  voice  so  gentle  and  lamentable  that 
they  said:  ^  **  Maiden,  since  Queen  Iseult,  our  lady 
and  thine,  desires  thy  death,  doubtless  thou  hast 
wrought  some  grievous  wrong  against  her."  ^Then 
50 


^ 


Êm 


BRAGWAINE  GIVEN  OVER  TO  THE  SERFS 
she  made  answer  :  ^  ^^  I  know  not,  friends  ;  I  can 
remember  but  one  misdeed»  When  we  came  from 
Ireland,  we  each  brought  with  us  as  our  most  precious 
adornment,  a  snow-white  shift,  to  wear  on  our 
wedding^night.  It  happened  while  we  were  upon 
the  sea,  that  Iseult  tore  hers,  and  for  her  weddings 
night  I  lent  her  mine*  Friends,  this  is  all  the  ill  I 
ever  did  her*  But  since  she  has  wished  me  dead, 
tell  her  that  I  send  her  greeting  and  love,  and  that  I 
thank  her  for  all  the  good  and  honour  she  has  done 
me  from  my  childhood,  when  I  was  carried  off  by 
pirates,  and  sold  to  her  mother  and  given  to  her 
service*  May  God  of  his  goodness  keep  her 
honour,  her  body,  and  her  life*  Brothers,  strike 
now  !  '^  ^  The  serfs  had  pity  on  her*  They  took 
counsel  together,  and  deeming  that  such  a  misdeed 
was  not  perchance  worthy  of  death,  they  bound  her 
to  a  tree.  ^  Then  they  killed  a  young  dog;  one 
of  them  cut  out  his  tongue,  wrapped  it  in  a  fold  of 
his  tunic,  and  both  returned  hereupon  to  Iseult* 
^  ^^  Did  she  say  aught  ?  '^  asked  the  Queen. 
^  ^^  Yes,  Queen.  She  said  you  were  wroth  with 
her  for  the  one  wrong  she  had  ever  done  you;  on 
the  voyage  hither  you  had  torn  the  snow-white 
shift  you  had  brought  from  Ireland,  and  she  lent 
you  hers  for  your  wedding^night.  This,  she  said, 
was  her  only  crime*  She  gave  you  thanks  for  all 
your  benefits  to  her  from  her  childhood,  she  prayed 

57 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
God  to  protect  your  honour  and  your  life,  she  sent 
you  love  and  greeting*     Queen,  here  is  her  tongue, 
which  we   bring  you/'     ^  *^  Murderers  I  '^  cried 
Iseult,  ^*  give  me  back  Bragwaine,  my  dear  waitings 
woman.    Wist  ye  not  that  she  was  my  only  friend  ? 
Murderers,  give  her  back  to  me  I  '^  ^  ^^  Queen,  truly 
has  it  been  said  :  Woman  changes  in  an  hour  ;  she 
laughs,  cries,  loves,  and  hates  at  the  same  time. 
We  have  killed  her,  as  you  commanded/'   ^  ^^  How 
should  I  have  commanded  this  ?    For  what  wrong  ? 
Was  she  not  my  dear  companion,  gentle,  fair,  and 
faithful  ?     You  know  it,  murderers  ;   I  sent  her  to 
gather  healing  herbs,  and  I  gave  her  to  you  that 
you  might  protect  her  on  the  way.     But  I  will  tell 
how  ye  have  slain  her,  and  ye  shall  be  burnt  on 
live  coals.''     ^  *^  Queen,  know  then  that  she  lives, 
and  we  will  bring  her  back  to  you  safe  and  sound." 
^  But  she  believed  them  not,  and  as  if  distraught, 
by  turns   she  cursed   the  murderers  and   herself. 
She  kept  one  of  the  serfs  with  her,  while  the  other 
hastened  to  the  tree  where  Bragwaine  was  fastened, 
crying  :    ^  **  Fair  maiden,  God  has  had  mercy  on 
you,  and  your  lady  calls  you  back."     ^  When  she 
appeared  before  Iseult,  Bragwaine  knelt  and  asked 
pardon  for  her  fault  ;  but  the  Queen  had  also  fallen 
on  her  knees,  and  they  embraced  each  other  long 
and  rapturously. 

58 


VI.  THE  GREAT  PINE-TREE 


hot  ma  drue,  hot  m' amie 

En  vos  ma  mort,  en  vos  ma  vie  I 

GOTTFRffiD  OF  STRASBURG 


OULD  their  love. 

sick  hearts  but  have 

been  vigilant,  it  was 

not  the  faithful  Brag*- 

waine  but  themselves 

that  the  lovers  would 

have    feared.      Love 

urged   them    on,    as 

thirst  drives  the  pant. 

ing  stag  to  the  river, 

or  as  the  hawk,  after 

a   long  fast,   darts   upon  his  prey.      Alas!   love 

cannot    be    hid*       It    is    true    that     Bragwaine's 

prudence   guarded   the   lovers   so   that   none    ever 

surprised  them  in  each  other^s  arms  ;  but  all  could 

see    how    at    every    hour,   in   every   place,   desire 

agitated  them,  entangled  them  and  overflowed  from 

all  their  senses  as  new  wine  rushes  from  the  cask. 

^  The  four  felons  of  the  court,  who  hated  Tristram 

for  his  valour,  were  already  prowling  round  the 

Queen.     They    already    knew    the    story    of    her 

secret  love.     They  were  burning  with  covetous. 

ness,  hatred,  and  joy.     They  agreed  to  carry  the 

tale  to  the  King  ;  then  would  they  see  his  tender. 

ness  changed  into  fury,  Tristram  driven  out  or  put 

to  death,  and  the  Queen  chastised.     Nevertheless, 

they  feared   the   wrath  of  Tristram;    but  finally 

theik*  hatred  overcame  their  terror;  one  day,  the 

61 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
four  barons  craved  audience  of  King  Mark,  and 
Andret  said  to  him  :  ^  **  Sire,  doubtless  thy  heart 
will  be  hot  with  anger,  and  we  are  all  four  grieved 
thereat }  but  we  must  needs  reveal  what  we  have 
discovered^  Thou  hast  set  thy  heart  on  Tristram, 
and  Tristram  puts  thee  to  shame*  In  vain  have 
we  warned  thee  ;  for  the  love  thou  barest  to  this 
one  man,  thou  scornest  thy  kindred  and  thy  nobles, 
and  forsakest  us  alL  Know  then  that  Tristram 
loves  the  Queen  ;  it  is  a  proven  truth,  and  already 
there  is  much  talk  of  the  matter/'  ^  The  noble 
King  tottered  as  he  stood  and  replied  t  ^  **  Coward  I 
what  baseness  hast  thou  imagined  ?  Certainly  I 
have  set  my  heart  on  Tristram»  On  the  day 
when  Marhaus  defied  you,  you  all  hung  your 
heads,  trembling  and  dumb,  but  Tristram  braved 
him  for  love  of  this  land,  and  his  soul  might  have 
left  his  body  by  each  one  of  the  wounds  that  he 
received.  This  is  why  you  hate  him,  and  this  is 
why  I  love  him  more  than  you,  Andret,  more  than 
you  all,  more  than  any  one*  But  what  do  you 
claim  to  have  discovered  ?  What  have  you  seejj  ? 
What  have  you  heard  ?  ''  ^ ''  Nothing,  in  truth, 
my  lord,  but  what  thine  own  eyes  may  see  and 
thine  own  ears  hear.  Look  and  listen,  sire  ;  it 
may  be  there  is  yet  time.''  ^  And  they  withdrew, 
and  left  him  to  drink  in  the  poison.  ^  King 
Mark  could  not  cast  out  the  accursed  thought. 
62 


THE  GREAT  PINE.TREE 
He  watched  his  nephew,  he  watched  the  Queen. 
But  Bragwaine  perceived  it  and  warned  them,  and 
it  was  in  vain  that  the  King  sought  lo  prove  Iseult 
by  cunning  devices.     Soon  he  came  to  loathe  this 
vile  conflict,  and  knowing  that  he  could  not  drive 
away  his  suspicions,  he  sent   for    Tristram    and 
said  :    ^  ^^  Tristram,  quit  this   castle,   and  when 
thou   hast   left  it  never   dare   again   to  cross  the 
moats  and  lists.     Evil  men  accuse  thee  of  a  great 
treason.      Ask   me    no    questions  ;    I    could    not 
report  their   words  without  shame  to  myself  and 
thee.      Seek  not  to  soothe  me  by  words  ;  I  feel 
that  they  would  be  in  vain.     Nevertheless,  I  do 
not  believe  these  felons  ;  if  I  believed  them,  should 
I  not  already  have  condemned  thee  to  a  shameful 
death  ?     But  their  evil  speaking  has  troubled  my 
heart,  and  thy  departure  alone  can  calm  it.      Go, 
doubtless  I  shall  soon  recall  thee;  go,  my  ever  dear 
son.'^     ^  Now  when  the  felons  heard  the  news, 
they  rejoiced  :  ^^  He  is  gone,  the  sorcerer  is  gone, 
driven  out  like  a  thief.     What  will  be  his  fate  ? 
Doubtless  he   will  cross  the  seas  to  seek  adven-^ 
tur^s   and   to   offer  his   disloyal   service   to  some 
distant  king.^'     ^  But  Tristram  had  not  strength 
to  go,  and  when  he  had  passed  the  moats  and  lists 
of  the  castle,  he  knew  that  he  could  go  no  farther* 
He    halted    in    the    town    of  Tintagel  itself,  and 
lodged  with  Gorvenal  in  the  house  of  a  citizen,  and 

63 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

here   he   languished,    tortured  by  fever,  and  more 

deeply  wounded  than  in  the  day  when  Marhaus' 

spear^head  had  poisoned  his  body»     At  that  time, 

when  he  had  lain  in  the  hut  on  the  shore,  and  all 

men  had  fled  from  the  stench  of  his  wounds,  three 

had  succoured   him — Gorvenal,  Dinas  of    Lidan, 

and     King     Mark.       Gorvenal    and    Dinas    still 

watched    by    his    bed,  but  Mark  came  no  more, 

and  Tristram  lamented  thus  :  ^  ^*  Truly,  fair  uncle, 

my  body  now  exhales  a  more  deadly  venom,  and 

thy   love   can    no    longer   overcome   thy  horror/' 

^   But  in   the  ardour  of  fever,  desire  drove  him 

ever  like  a  runaway  horse  towards  the  close-'shut 

towers  which  held  the  Queen  ;  horse  and  rider  were 

shattered  by  the  stone  walls  ;  but  horse  and  rider 

rose  again  and  again  and  rode  once  more  against 

the  castle.     ^  Behind  the  close^shut  towers,  Iseult 

the  Fair  also  languished,  more  woeful  still  ;  for, 

among  those  strangers  who  were  watching  her,  she 

had  all  day  to  feign  joy  and  merriment  ;  and  at 

night,  lying  beside  King  Mark,  she  had  to  still  the 

agitation  of  her  limbs  and  the  tremblings  of  fever. 

She  longed  to  fly  to  Tristram.     And  it  seemed  to 

her  that  she  rose  and  hastened  to  the  door;  but  on 

the  dark  threshold,  the  felons  had  set  great  scythes  ; 

their  keen  and  terrible  blades  caught  her  tender 

knees  as  she  passed;  she  thought  that  she  fell,  and 

from  the  gashes  of  her  knees,  two  red  fountains 
64 


THE  GREAT  PINE.TREE 

rose  into  the  air.     ^  Soon  would  the  lovers  have 

perished,  had  none  succoured  them.    And  who  then 

should  succour  them  but  Bragwaine  ?     At  peril  of 

her  life,  she  crept  to  the  house  where  Tristram  lay. 

Gorvenal  opened  to  her  joyfully,  and  to  save  the 

lovers,    she    taught    Tristram   a  device.     Ç|  No, 

gentles,  never  will  ye  have  heard  of  such  a  fair  device 

of  love.     ^  Behind  the  castle  of  Tintagel  lay  a 

vast  orchard,  fenced  with  stout  pales.     Goodly  trees 

without  number  grew  there,  loaded  with  fruit,  with 

birds,  and  fragrant  clusters.     At  the  spot  farthest 

from  the  castle,  close  to  the  stakes  of  the  fence,  rose 

a  tall  straight  pine-tree,  whose  mighty  trunk  upheld 

wide  spreading  branches.    At  its  roots  was  a  spring 

of  living  water  ;  the  water  spread  out  first  into  a 

wide  pool,  clear  and  calm,  enclosed  by  a  marble 

terrace  ;  then  it  ran  through  the  orchard,  between 

two  narrow  banks,  and  entering  the  castle,  passed 

through   the  women's   apartments.     ^    Now  by 

Bragwaine's   advice,  Tristram   every  evening  cut 

pieces  of  bark  and  little  twigs  artfully.    He  climbed 

the  sharp  stakes,  and  coming  under  the  pine-tree, 

he  threw  the  chips  into  the  fountain.     Light  as  the 

foam,  they  rose   and   floated  with   it,  and  Iseult 

watched  for  them  in  the  women's  chambers.   Then, 

on  the  evenings  when  Bragwaine  had  succeeded  in 

keeping  away  Mark  and  the  felons,  she  came  at 

once  to  her  beloved.     ^  She  came,  swift  and  timid, 

E  65 


N 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
peering  behind  the  trees  at  every  step  to  see  if  the 
felons  were  lurking  there»  But  as  soon  as  Tristram 
saw  her,  he  sprang  towards  her  with  outstretched 
arms*  Then  night  encompassed  them,  and  the 
shadow  of  the  great  pine*  ^  ^^Tristram,''  said  the 
Queen,  ^*  do  not  mariners  tell  that  this  castle  of 
Tintagel  is  enchanted,  and  that  twice  a  year,  in 
winter  and  summer,  sorcery  causes  it  to  disappear 
from  sight*  It  is  so  now*  Is  not  this  the  magic 
orchard  of  which  the  harpers  sing  ?  a  wall  of  air 
encloses  on  every  side  the  blossoming  trees  and 
fragrant  soil  ;  the  hero  lives  for  ever  young  in  the 
arms  of  his  beloved,  and  no  hostile  power  can  break 
through  the  wall  of  air*''  ^  Already  from  the 
towers  of  Tintagel  were  heard  the  troops  of  watchers 
heralding  the  dawn*  ^  ^^  No,''  replied  Tristram, 
^^  the  wall  of  air  is  already  shattered,  and  this  is 
not  the  magic  orchard*  But  one  day,  beloved,  we 
will  go  together  to  the  Happy  Land  whence  none 
return*  There  stands  a  castle  of  white  marble  ;  in 
each  of  its  thousand  windows  shines  a  lighted 
candle,  and  in  each  a  minstrel  plays  and  sings  an 
endless  melody  ;  no  sun  shines  there,  yet  none  re^ 
gret  his  radiance  ;  this  is  the  blessed  country  of  the 
living*"  ^  But  on  the  topmost  towers  of  Tintagel 
the  dawn  was  lighting  up  the  great  checkered  blocks 
of  sinople  and  azure*  ^  Iseult  was  full  of  joy 
again»  The  King's  suspicions  died  away,  but  the 
66 


r 


THE  GREAT  PINE-TREE 
felons  knew  by  this  token  that  Tristram  and  the 
Queen  had  met.  Bragwaine,  however,  kept  such 
good  watch  that  they  spied  in  vain.  At  last 
Duke  Andret,  may  God  bring  shame  on  him, 
said  to  his  companions  :  ^  ^^  My  lords,  let  us 
take  counsel  of  Frocin,  the  hunchbacked  dwarf.  >^ 
He  knows  the  seven  arts,  magic,  and  all 
manner  of  enchantments.  At  the  birth  of  a  child 
he  can,  by  observing  the  seven  planets  and  the 
course  of  the  stars,  foretell  all  the  events 
of  its  life.  He  can  discover  secret  things,  by 
the  help  of  Bugibus  and  Noiron.  If  he  will,  he 
can  show  us  the  artifices  of  Iseult  the  Fair.^^  ^  For 
hatred  of  beauty  and  of  valour,  the  evil  little  man 
traced  the  magic  characters,  cast  his  charms  and 
his  lots,  observed  the  courses  of  Orion  and  Lucifer, 
and  said  ;  tj  ^^  Rejofce,  fair  sirs  ;  this  very  night 
you  may  surprise  them^''  ^  They  brought  him  to 
the  King.  ^  ^^  Sire,'"  said  the  sorcerer,  ^^  order  your 
huntsmen  to  put  your  bloodhounds  in  leash  and  to 
saddle  your  horses  ;  give  out  that  you  will  live  for 
seven  days  and  seven  nights  in  the  forest  a^hunting, 
and  you  may  hang  me  on  the  gallows  if  this  very 
night  you  do  not  hear  how  Tristram  discourses  to  the 
Queen.''  ^  Then  the  King  did  so,  but  sore  against 
his  will.  When  night  fell,  he  left  his  huntsm.en 
in  the  forest,  took  the  dwarf  up  on  his  horse  behind 
him,  and  returned    towards  Tintagel.      He  came 

67 


"\ 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

into  the  orchard  by  an  opening  he  knew,  and  the 

dwarf  led  him  to  the  great  pine-tree*   ^  ^^  Fair  King, 

climb  up  into  the  branches  of  this  tree*    Take  your 

bow  and  arrows  with  you — haply  they  may  serve 

you — and  keep  quiet»     You  will  not  have  long  to 

wait/'  ^  '*  Away,  dog  of  the  Evil  One  !  ''  exclaimed 

Mark»     And   the   dwarf  went   away,  leading  the 

horse.     ^  He  had  spoken  truly,  the  King  had  not 

long  to  wait.     The  moon  was  shining  that  night, 

clear  and  fair*     Hidden  among  the  branches,  the 

King  saw  his  nephew  bound  over  the  pointed  stakes. 

Tnbtram  came  under  the  tree,  and  threw  the  chips 

and  twigs  into  the  stream.     But  leaning  over  the 

fountain  to  throw  them  in,  he  saw  the  image  of  the 

King  reflected  in  the  water.    Ah  I  could  he  but  have 

stopped  the  chips  as  they  hurried  along.     But  they 

were  already  speeding  through  the  orchard.    In  the 

women's  chambers  down  in  the  castle,  Iseult  was 

watching  for  them;    already,   no   doubt,   she  had 

seen  them,  she  was  coming.     God  save  the  lovers  ! 

^  She  comes  I    Seated,  motionless,  Tristram  gazes 

at  her,  and  in  the  tree  above  he  heard  the  click  of 

the  arrow  as  it  slipped  into  the  cord  of  the  bow. 

^  She   comes,   swiftly  and   cautiously,    as  is  her 

wont.  ^*  What  can  be  amiss  ?  ''  she  thought.   ^^  Why 

does  not  Tristram  hasten  to  meet  me  this  evening  ? 

Can  he  have  seen  some  enemy  ?  ''     ^  She  stops, 

and  peers  into  the  dusky  thicket;    suddenly,  she 
68 


THE  GREAT  PINE-TREE 
too  sees  by  the  moonlight  the  shadow  of  the  King      ^ 
in  the  fountain»    She  showed  the  customary  wisdom 
of  woman  in  that  she  did  not  lift  her  eyes  to  the 
branches  of  the  tree  :  ^*  Great  God  I  ^'  she  murmured, 
^^  grant  me  this  grace,  that  I  may  be  the  first  to 
speak  !  '^     Çj  Then  she  went  nearer,  and  in  this 
wise  she  forestalled  and  warned  her  lover  :  ^  ^^  Sir 
Tristram,  you  are  over^bold  to  send  for  me  in  such 
a  place  and  at  such  an  hour.     Many  a  time  have 
you  already  prayed  me  to  come,  that  you  might 
crave  a  boon  of  me*     What  is  your  request  ?  and 
what  do  you  hope  from  me  ?     I  have  come  at  pst, 
for  I  cannot  forget  that  if  I  am  Queen,  I  owe  it  to 
you.     Here  am  I,  therefore.     What  would  you  ?  ^^ 
ÇI  ^^  Queen,  I  would  cry  you  mercy,  that  you  might 
turn  the  King^s  anger  from  me.'^     ^  She  trembles 
and  weeps.     But  Tristram  praises  God,  who  had  *>v 
revealed  the  peril  to  his  beloved.  ^  ^*  Yes,  Queen,  I 
have  craved  your  presence  many  times,  and  always 
in  vain  ;  never  have  you  deigned  to  come  at  my 
request  since  the  King  drove  me  out.     But  take 
pity  on  the  wretch  before  you.     The  King  hates 
me,  I    know  not   why  ;    but  you  perchance   may 
know  ;  and  who  could  turn  away  his  wrath  like 
you,  loyal  Queen,  courteous  Iseult,  in  whom  his 
heart  trusts  ?  ^^    ^  ^^  Truly>  Sir  Tristram,  know 
you  not  that  he  suspects  us  both  ?     Must  I,  for 
crown  of  shame,  tell  you  of  what  treachery  ?     My 

69 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT  

lord   believes   that  I  love  you  with  a  guilty  love» 
But  God  knows,  and  may  He  do  vengeance  on  my 
body  if  I  lie,  never  have  I  given  my  love  to  any 
man  save  to  him  who  first  took  me,  a  virgin,  in 
his  arms.     And  you  ask  me,  Tristram,  to  crave 
your  pardon  of  the  King  I     If  he  but  knew  that  I 
came    to    this    pine-'tree    to-night,   to-morrow    he 
would  scatter  my  ashes  to  the  winds  of  heaven  !  '' 
^  Tristram  groaned.      ^  *^  Fair  uncle,  it  is  said, 
*  None  is  vile  save  he  who  does  vilely.'     But  in 
what  heart  could  such  a  thought  have  arisen  ?  '^ 
^  ^^  Sir    Tristram,    what    mean    you  ?     No,    my 
lord   the  King  would  not  have  imagined  such  a 
villainy.     It  was  the  felons  of  this  land  who  made 
him  believe  this  lie,  for  loyal  hearts  are  easily  de-^ 
ceived.     They  love  each  other,  said  they,  and  the 
felons  made  it  a  crime  to  us.     Yes,  you  love  me, 
Tristram,  why  should  we  deny  it  ?     Am  I  not  the 
wife  of  your  uncle,  and  did  I  not  twice  save  you 
from  death  ?     Yes,  and  I  loved  you  in  return  ;  are 
you  not  of  the  King's  lineage,  and  have  not  I  heard 
my  mother  say  many  a  time  that  a  woman  loves 
not  her  lord  truly  unless  she  also  loves  his  kin. 
It  was  for  love  of  the  King  that  I  loved  you,  Tris^ 
tram,  and  now,  if  he  would  restore  you  to  favour, 
I  should   rejoice.      But   my   limbs   tremble,   I   am 
greatly  afraid.      I  must  go,  I  have  already  tarried 
too  long.''     ^  Above  in  the  branches  the    King 
70 


Above  in  the  branches  the  King  was  moved  to  pity, 

and  he  smiled  gently. 

Page  71 


.^f*MX    € 


THE  GREAT  PINE.TREE 
was  moved  to  pity,  and  he  smiled  gently*  Iseult 
fled,  Tristram  called  her  back.  ^  ^^  Queen,  in 
Christ's  name,  come  to  my  help  for  charity*  The 
miscreants  desired  to  drive  all  who  love  the  King: 
from  him*  They  have  succeeded  and  now  they 
mock  at  him*  Be  it  so  ;  I  will  go  away  from  this 
country,  poor  as  when  I  first  came  hither,  but  at 
least,  ask  of  the  King,  in  recompense  of  my  past 
services,  sufficient  to  enable  me  to  ride  away  hence 
without  shame,  to  pay  my  debts  and  redeem  my 
horse  and  my  arms*''  ^  ^^  No,  Tristram,  you 
must  not  ask  this  boon  of  me*  I  am  alone  in  this 
land,  alone  in  this  palace  where  none  love  me, 
without  help,  at  the  King's  mercy*  If  I  say  one 
word  to  him  on  your  behalf,  do  you  not  see  that  I 
risk  a  shameful  death*  Friend,  may  God  protect 
you!  The  King  is  wrong  to  hate  you*  But 
whithersoever  you  go,  God  will  be  your  true  friend*" 
^  She  fled  and  came  to  her  chamber,  where 
Bragwaine  received  her,  trembling,  in  her  arms  : 
the  Queen  related  the  adventure*  Bragwaine  ex^ 
claimed  :  ^  ^*  Iseult,  my  lady,  God  has  wrought  a 
great  miracle  for  you*  He  is  our  compassionate  \/ 
Father,  and  turns  away  evil  from  those  He  knows^^ 
to  be  innocent*"  ^  Under  the  great  pine  Tristram 
leant  against  the  marble  balustrade,  and  lamented 
aloud  :  IJ  ^^  May  God  have  pity  on  me  and  repair 
the  great   injustice   I   am  suffering  from  my  dear 

7i 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
lord  I  '"  ^  When  he  had  climbed  the  fence  of  the 
orchard,  the  King  smiled  and  said  :  ^  ^^  Fair 
nephew,  blessed  be  this  hour  !  See  :  the  long 
journey  for  which  thou  didst  make  ready  this 
morning  is  already  at  an  end/'  ^  In  a  glade  of 
the  forest,  Frocin  the  dwarf  was  reading  the  course 
of  the  stars  ;  he  learned  that  the  King  threatened 
to  put  him  to  death  ;  he  turned  black  with  fear 
and  shame,  swelled  with  rage,  and  fled  swiftly  to 
the  land  of  Wales. 


72 


VIL  FROCIN  THE  DWARF 


We  dem  selbin  getwerge 
Dâx  et  den  edelin  man  vorrit 

EILHART  EKOBERG 


Unless  the  King  would  send  his  nephew  out  of  the 

country,  they  would  retire  into  their  castles   and   make 

war  upon  him. 

Page  75 


EAVE  had  been 
granted  to  Tristram 
to  return  to  the  castle» 
King  Mark  had  made 
peace  with  him,  and 
as  of  yore,  Tristram 
slept  in  the  King's 
chamber,  among  the 
favourites  and  inti" 
mates»  He  was  free 
to  go  in  and  come 
out  ;  the  King  had  no  more  fears»  But  who  can 
keep  love  long  hidden  ?  ^  Mark  had  pardoned 
the  felons,  and  as  the  seneschal  Dinas  of  Lidan 
had  one  day  found  the  hunchback  dwarf  wandering 
and  wretched  in  a  distant  forest,  he  brought  him 
to  the  King,  who  forgave  him  his  malice»  ^  But  his 
goodness  only  excited  the  hatred  of  the  barons 
afresh»  Having  again  surprised  the  Queen  and 
Tristram,  they  bound  themselves  by  an  oath,  that 
unless  the  King  would  send  his  nephew  out  of  the 
country,  they  would  retire  into  their  castles  and 
make  war  upon  him»  They  summoned  the  King 
to  hold  parley»  ^  *^  Sire,  love  us  or  hate  us  as 
thou  wilt  ;  but  we  demand  that  Tristram  be  sent 
away  ;  he  loves  the  Queen,  and  others  may  suffer 
it,  but  we  will  endure  it  no  longer »''  ^  The  King 
listened,  sighed,  hung  his  head,  and  was    silent» 

75 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
^  ^^  No,  King,  we  will  no  longer  suffer  it,  for  we 
know  now  that  this  news,  once  strange  enough,  is 
no  longer  surprising  to  thee,  and  that  thou 
consentest  to  their  crime.  What  wilt  thou  do  ? 
Ponder,  and  take  counsel.  As  for  us,  if  thou  wilt 
not  banish  thy  nephew  altogether,  we  will  retire  to 
our  baronies  and  we  will  also  draw  away  our 
neighbours  from  thy  court,  for  we  will  not  suffer 
them  to  remain.  Such  is  the  choice  we  give  thee. 
Choose  therefore.^^  ^  ^^  My  lords,  once  I  believed 
the  evil  things  you  said  of  Tristram,  and  I  repented 
it.  But  you  are  my  liegemen,  and  I  would  not 
lose  your  services.  Counsel  me  therefore,  I 
command  you,  you  who  owe  me  counsel.  You 
know  well  that  pride  and  arrogance  are  far  from 
me.^'  ^J  *^  Then,  sire,  send  for  the  dwarf  Frocin. 
You  mistrust  him,  because  of  the  adventure  of  the 
orchard.  But  did  he  not  read  in  the  stars  that 
the  Queen  would  come  that  night  to  the  pine-tree  ? 
He  knows  many  things;  take  counsel  of  him.^' 
^  So  the  accursed  dwarf  hastened  to  the  King  and 
Denoalen  embraced  him.  Now  hear  the  treachery 
he  counselled  to  the  King  :  ^  **  Sire,  charge  thy 
nephew  to  ride  to-morrow  in  all  haste  to  Carduel, 
to  take  a  sealed  parchment  to  King  Arthur.  King, 
Tristram  sleeps  near  thy  bed.  Leave  thy  chamber 
at  the  hour  of  the  first  sleep,  and  I  swear  by  God 

and  by  the  law  of  Rome^  that  if  he  loves  Iseult 
76 


f 

,  FROCIN  THE  DWARF 

madly,  he  will  desire  to  come  and  speak  to  her 
before  his  departure  ;  but  if  he  so  come  unknown 
to  me  and  unseen  by  thee,  then  kill  me»  For  the 
rest,  let  me  order  the  business  as  I  will,  and  be 
careful  only  to  speak  to  Tristram  of  this  mission 
at  the  moment  of  retiring/'  ^  ^^Yes,''  replied 
Mark,  'Mt  shall  be  as  thou  sayest/'  ^  Then  the 
dwarf  did  a  deed  of  treachery»  He  went  to  a 
baker  and  bought  a  parcel  of  flour,  which  he 
hid  in  a  fold  of  his  gown»  Who  could  have 
suspected  such  villainy  ?  At  night,  when  the 
King  had  eaten,  and  his  men  were  asleep  in  the 
great  hall  adjoining  his  chamber,  Tristram  went, 
as  was  his  wont,  to  the  disrobing  of  the  King» 
^  ^^  Fair  nephew,'^  said  Mark,  ^^  I  have  an  errand 
for  thee»  Ride  to  King  Arthur  at  Carduel,  and 
bring  him  this  letter.  Greet  him  from  me  and 
tarry  but  one  day  with  him»''  ^  ''  Sire,  I  will 
take  it  to-morrow»"  ^  ^*  Yes,  to-morrow, 
before  daybreak»"  C|  Then  was  Tristram  much 
troubled»  His  bed  stood  about  a  lance's  length 
from  that  of  the  King»  He  longed  greatly  to 
speak  to  the  Queen,  and  he  vowed  in  his  heart 
that  towards  dawn,  if  Mark  slept,  he  would  come 
to  her»  Such  was  the  mad  thought  he  conceived. 
ÇI  Now  the  dwarf,  as  was  his  wont,  was  also 
sleeping  in  the  King's  chamber»  When  he  thought 
that  all  were  asleep,  he  rose  and  strewed  the  flour 

77 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
on  the  ground  between  Tristram's  bed  and  that  of 
the  Queen  ;  so  that,  should  either  have  gone  to  join 
the  other,  the  flour  would  have  shown  the  foot^ 
prints.     But  as  he  strewed  it,  Tristram,  who  was 
awake,  saw  him.     ^  ^^  What  means  this  ?     This 
dwarf  is  not  wont  to  do  me  good  service  ;  but  he 
shall  be  disappointed  ;  he  would  be  a  fool  indeed 
who  should  leave  the  imprint  of   his  footsteps. '^ 
^  At  midnight  the  King  rose  and  left  the  chamber, 
followed  by  the  hunchback  dwarf.      It  was  dark  ; 
there  was  neither  lamp  nor  taper*     Tristram  stood 
up  on  his  bed.     Ah  !  why  did  he  obey  this  fatal 
thought  !  He  put  his  feet  together,  measured  the 
distance,  jumped,  and  fell  on  the  King's  bed.     But 
unhappily,  the  day  before,  the  tusk  of  a  great  wild 
boar  had  torn  his  leg,  and  the   wound   was  not 
bandaged.     The  effort  of  the  spring  had  opened 
the  wound,  but  Tristram  saw  not  the  blood  that 
flowed  and  stained  the  sheets.     And  outside,  in 
the  moonlight,  the  dwarf  knew  by  his  magic  arts 
that  the  lovers  were  conjoined.      He  trembled  with 
joy  and  said  to  the  King  :   ^  ^^  Go  now,  and  if  they 
are  not  found  together,  have  me  hanged.''     CJ  So 
they   came  back   to   the   chamber,   the  King,   the 
dwarf  and  the  four  felons.     But  Tristram  heard 
them.      He   rose,   jumped,   and   reached  his   bed. 
Alas  I  the  blood  had  dropped  from  his  wound  on  the 
flour  as  he  passed.     ^  Then  in  came  the  King,  the 
78 


FROCIN  THE  DWARF 
barons,  and  the  dwarf,  bearing  a  taper.  Tristram 
and  Iseult  feigned  to  be  sleeping  ;  they  had  been 
alone  in  the  chamber  with  Perinis,  who  was 
sleeping  at  Tristram's  feet,  and  stirred  not.  But 
the  King  saw  the  sheets  dabbled  red,  and  the  flour 
on  the  floor  soaked  in  Iresh  blood.  ^  Then  the 
four  barons  who  hated  Tristram  for  his  prowess, 
held  him  down  on  his  bed,  and  threatened  the 
Queen  and  mocked  her,  promising  her  speedy- 
justice.  They  discovered  the  bleeding  wound. 
^  '^Tristram,''  said  the  King,  'Menials  will  avail 
thee  nothing.  To-morrow  thou  shalt  die.''  ^  He 
cried  aloud  to  the  King  :  ^  **  Mercy,  my  lord.  In 
the  name  of  God  who  suffered  the  Passion,  have 
pity  on  us  !  "  ^  **  Sire,  avenge  thyself,"  said  the 
felons.  ^  ''Fair  uncle,  I  ask  not  for  myself;  I 
fear  not  to  die.  Certes,  but  for  fear  of  your  wrath, 
I  would  make  these  cowards  pay  dearly  for  the 
affront  they  have  put  upon  me,  they,  who  but  for 
thy  safeguard,  would  not  have  dared  to  lay  hands  on 
my  body.  But  for  the  respect  and  love  I  owe  thee, 
I  yield  myself  to  thy  mercy  ;  deal  with  me  according 
to  thy  will.  Here  am  I,  my  lord  ;  but  have  pity 
on  the  Queen."  ^  And  Tristram  humbled  himself 
at  the  King's  feet.  ^^  "  Have  pity  on  the  Queen, 
for  if  there  is  a  man  in  thy  house  bold  enough  to 
maintain  the  lie  that  I  have  loved  her  with  a  guilty  ^^^ 
love,  he  will  find  me  ready  to  meet  him  in  the  lists. 

79 


I 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
Sire>  have  pity  on  her^  for  the  love  of  God/' 
^  But  the  barons  have  bound  him  with  cords, 
both  him  and  the  Queen.  Ah  I  had  he  but  known 
that  he  was  not  to  be  permitted  to  prove  his 
innocence  in  single  combat,  he  would  have  been 
hacked  to  pieces  rather  than  have  suffered  himself 
to  be  vilely  bound.  ^  But  he  trusted  in  God,  and 
he  knew  that  none  would  dare  to  bear  arms  against 
him  in  the  lists*  And  certes,  he  was  right  to 
trust  in  God*  When  he  swore  he  never  had  loved  the 
H  Queen  with  a  guilty  love,  the  felons  laughed  at  the 
insolent  imposture.  |But  I  ask  you,  gentles,  who 
know  the  truth  concerning  the  philtre  drunk  on 
the  sea,  and  understand  the  matter,  was  this  a  lie  ?  j 
It  is  not  the  deed  that  proves  the  crime,  but  the 
judgment.  Men^^ee  the  deed^  but  God  sees  the 
heart,  and  He  alone  is  the  true  judge.  He  has 
therefore  ordained  that  every  accused  man  may 
maintain  his  cause  by  battle,  and  He  himself  fights 
for  the  innocent.  This  is  why  Tristram  claimed 
justice  and  battle,  and  was  careful  not  to  fail  in 
his  duty  to  King  Mark.  But  could  he  have 
foreseen  what  was  to  happen,  he  would  have  killed 
the  felons*  Ah,  God  I  would  he  had  killed 
them  I 


80 


VIII.  THE  LEAP  FROM  THE  CHAPEL 


Qui  voit  son  cors  et  sa  façon 
Trop  par  avroit  le  cuer  felon 
Qui  nen  avroit  d'Iseut  pitié 

BÉROUL 


Presently  the  news  spread  throughout  the  city  in  the 

darkness. 

Page  83 


9  7  Ax^rxsih 


IRESENTLY  the 
news  spread  through^ 
out  the  city  in  the 
darkness  :  Tristram 
and  the  Queen  have 
been  seized  ;  the  King 
intends  to  put  them 
todeath»  Rich  citizens 
and  humble  folks  weep 
together.  ^  ''  Alas  I 
should  we  not  weep  ! 
Tristram,  bold  baron,  art  thou  then  to  die  by  such 
foul  treachery  ?  And  you,  fair  and  honoured 
Queen,  what  land  will  ever  boast  a  King's  daughter 
so  beauteous  and  so  beloved  ?  This,  then,  is  the 
fruit  of  thy  divinations,  vile  hunchback.  May  he 
who  happens  upon  thee  and  fails  to  run  his  lance 
through  thee  never  see  the  face  of  God  !  Tristram, 
dear  friend,  when  Marhaus  landed  upon  our  shores 
to  snatch  our  children  from  us,  none  of  our  barons 
dared  to  take  arms  against  him,  and  all  were  silent 
as  mutes*  But  you,  Tristram,  fought  for  us  all, 
for  the  men  of  Cornwall,  and  you  killed  Marhaus  ; 
and  he  wounded  you  with  a  spear,  and  brought 
you  nigh  unto  death  for  us.  And  how,  remember-^ 
ing  these  things,  shall  we  consent  to  your  death  ?  '^ 
^  Cries  and  lamentations  rose  throughout  the 
city  ;  all  the  people  ran  towards  the  palace.     But 

83 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

such  was  the  King^s  wrath  that  the  proudest  and 

fiercest  of   the  barons  dared   not  venture  upon  a 

word  to  turn  him  from  his  anger*      ^  The  day 

approached,  the   darkness   passed   away.      Before 

sunrise,  Mark  rode  out  of  the  town,  to  the  place 

where  it  was  his  custom  to  hear  causes  and  give 

judgments.     He  commanded  that  a  pit  should  be 

digged,  and  that  in  it  should  be  heaped  sere  and 

knotted  branches,    and   thorns,    black   and  white, 

torn  up  by  the  roots.     ^  At  the  hour  of  prime,  he 

caused  a  proclamation  to  be  cried  throughout  the 

country   to    call    together    the   men  of    Cornwall. 

They  assembled  with  a    great    commotion.      AH 

wept,  save  the  dwarf  of  Tintagel.     Then  the  King 

spake  thus:    ^  *^My   lords,    I   have  caused    this 

pyre  to  be  made  for  Tristram  and  the  Queen,  for 

they  have   sinned.''     ^  But  they  all  cried  aloud  : 

^  **  Judgment,  O  King  I  Judgment  first,  the  accu^ 

sation  and  the  defence.    To  kill  them  without  trial 

would  be  a  shame  and  a  crime.    Respite  and  mercy 

for  them,  O  King  I  ''     ^  Then  said  Mark  in  his 

anger:    ^  **No,  neither   respite  nor   mercy,   nor 

defence  nor  judgment  I      By  Him  who  made  this 

world,  if  any  dare  again  to  make  such  a  request  to 

me,  he  shall  himself  burn  upon  this  pyre.''     ^  He 

ordered  that  the  fire  should  be  kindled,  and  that 

Tristram  should  be  fetched  from  the  castle.   ^  The 

thorns    crackled,    all   were    silent,    and   the  King 
84 


THE  LEAP  FROM  THE  CHAPEL 
waited.  ^  Servants  hastened  to  the  chamber  where 
the  lovers  were  closely  guarded,  r  They  dragged 
Tristram  along  by  his  hands,  which  were  tied  with 
cords.  Truly  it  was  vile  to  bind  him  thus.  He 
wept  at  the  affront  ;  but  what  availed  his  tears  ? 
He  was  borne  away  shamefully  ;  and  the  Queen, 
almost  mad  with  misery,  cried  :  ^  ^Mt  would  be  a 
joy,  beloved,  to  be  slain,  if  that  could  save  thee.'' 
^  The  guards  bore  Tristram  out  of  the  town 
towards  the  pyre.  But  a  horseman  came  spurring 
behind  them,  and  overtaking  them  leapt  from  his 
steed  as  it  went  ;  it  was  Dinas,  the  good  seneschal. 
He  had  heard  the  story  and  had  come  from  his 
castle  of  Lidan  ;  sweat  and  foam  and  blood  dripped 
from  his  horse's  flanks.  ^  ^^My  son,  I  hasten  to 
the  King's  judgment^seat.  God  will  peradventure 
grant  me  to  find  some  counsel  that  shall  save  you 
both  ;  already  He  gives  me  occasion  to  serve  thee 
by  a  slight  courtesy.  Friends,"  said  he  to  the 
guards,  ^Mt  is  my  will  that  you  conduct  him 
without  these  bonds" — and  he  cut  the  shameful 
cords — ^^  If  he  should  essay  to  flee,  have  you  not 
your  swords  ?"  ^  Then  he  kissed  Tristram  on 
the  lips,  sprang  again  into  the  saddle,  and  his 
horse  bore  him  thence.  ^  Now  listen,  and  hear 
how  full  of  pity  is  the  Lord  I  He  who  willeth  not 
the  death  of  a  sinner,  lent  a  favourable  ear  to  the 
tears    and    lamentations    of   the    poor   folk    who 

85 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
besought  Him  for  the  tortured  lovers»  Near  the 
road  along  which  Tristram  passed,  on  the  summit 
of  a  cliff  and  facing  the  north  wind,  stood  a  chapel 
overlooking  the  sea.  ^  The  wall  of  the  apse  rose 
sheer  from  a  lofty  rock  with  rugged  escarpments. 
In  this  apse,  over  the  precipice,  was  a  glass 
window,  the  skilful  work  of  a  saint.  Tristram 
said  to  those  who  were  leading  him  :  ^  *^  Friends, 
behold  this  chapel;  permit  me  to  enter  it.  My 
death  is  at  hand,  and  I  would  fain  pray  God  to 
have  mercy  on  me,  having  sinned  greatly  against 
him.  You  see  that  the  chapel  has  but  this  one 
issue  ;  each  of  you  has  his  sword  ;  you  know  that 
I  can  only  pass  out  by  this  door,  and  when  I  have 
prayed,  I  must  needs  place  myself  once  more  in 
your  hands.^^  ^  Then  one  of  the  guards  said  : 
^  ''  Why  should  we  not  grant  him  this  ?  ''  So  they 
suffered  him  to  enter.  He  hastened  through  the 
chapel,  crossed  the  choir,  reached  the  painted 
window,  flung  it  open  and  sprang  out  .  .  ♦ 
choosing  rather  this  fall  than  death  at  the  stake 
before  all  that  assembly.  But  you  must  know, 
gentles,  that  God  had  mercy  on  him;  the  wind 
blew  out  his  garments,  lifted  him  up  and  landed 
him  on  a  large  stone  at  the  foot  of  the  rock.  The 
people  of  Cornwall  still  call  this  stone  **  Tristram's 
Leap.''  ^  And  his  guards  still  waited  for  him 
outside  the  chapel.  But  in  vain,  for  God  had 
86 


THE  LEAP  FROM  THE  CHAPEL 
taken  him  into  His  own  keepings  He  fled  ;  the 
shifting  sand  gave  beneath  his  feet.  He  fell,  then 
turned,  saw  the  pyre  from  afar,  the  rising  smoke, 
the  crackling  flame.  He  fled.  ^  Gorvenal  had 
escaped  from  the  city  with  loose  rein,  and  sword 
on  thigh,  for  the  King  was  like  to  have  burnt 
him  in  his  master's  stead.  He  overtook  Tristram 
on  the  sands,  and  Tristram  cried  :  ^  *^  Master, 
God  has  had  mercy  on  me  I  But  wretched 
man  that  I  am,  how  does  this  profit  me  ?  If 
I  have  not  Iseult,  naught  avails  me  anything. 
Why  did  I  not  perish  when  I  fell  ?  I  have  escaped, 
Iseult,  and  thou  wilt  die.  They  are  burning  her 
for  my  sake;  for  her  sake  I  too  would  die."' 
^  Then  Gorvenal  said  to  him  :  ^  ^^  Take  comfort, 
fair  sir,  and  listen  not  to  the  voice  of  anger.  Behold 
this  thicket,  enclosed  by  a  wide  ditch  ;  let  us  hide 
here  ;  many  wayfarers  pass  along  this  road  ;  they 
will  give  us  tidings,  and  if  Iseult  is  burnt,  my  son, 
I  swear  by  God,  the  Son  of  Mary,  that  I  will  never 
sleep  under  a  roof  again  until  the  day  we  are 
avenged.'^  ^  ^*  Dear  master,  I  have  not  my  sword T' 
^  ''  It  is  here,  I  have  brought  it.''  ^  ''  Good,  my 
master  ;  I  fear  nothing  now,  but  God."  ^  ^^  My 
son,  I  have  further  under  my  tunic  something  to 
rejoice  thy  heart  ;  a  hauberk,  strong  and  light, 
that  may  be  of  service  to  thee."  ^  **  Give  it  to 
me,  my  master.     By  the  God  in  whom  I  trust,  I 

87 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
shall  now  be  able  to  deliver  my  beloved/'  ^  ^*  No, 
be  not  over  hasty/'  said  GorvenaL  **  God,  no  doubt, 
reserves  some  more  certain  vengeance  for  thee.  Re^ 
member  how  impossible  it  were  for  thee  to  approach 
the  pyre  ;  it  is  encompassed  by  the  townsmen,  who 
all  go  in  terror  of  the  King  ;  many  an  one  who 
would  in  his  heart  desire  thy  deliverance,  would  be 
among  the  first  to  strike  thee  down.  Son,  it  has 
been  truly  said  :  Rashness  is  not  courage.  Wait/' 
^  Now  when  Tristram  sprang  from  the  cliff,  a 
poor  man  of  the  people  had  seen  him  rise  and  flee. 
He  had  run  to  Tintagel,  and  had  made  his  way  to 
the  Queen's  chamber,  saying  to  her  :  ^  ^*  Queen, 
weep  no  more.  Your  lover  has  escaped."^  '*  Thank 
God  for  that  I"  she  cried.  *^Now  whether  they 
bind  or  loose  me,  whether  they  spare  or  kill  me,  I 
care  not."  ^  Now  they  had  bound  her  so  cruelly 
that  the  blood  gushed  from  her  wrists.  But  she 
said,  smiling  :  ^  ^^  I  should  indeed  be  faint  of  heart, 
if  I  were  to  weep  for  such  suffering,  when  God  of 
His  goodness  has  saved  my  beloved  from  these 
felons."  ^  When  it  was  told  the  King  that 
Tristram  had  escaped  by  the  window,  he  turned 
white  with  anger  and  ordered  his  men  to  bring 
Iseult  before  him.  ^  They  dragged  her  forth  ;  she 
appeared  outside  the  hall,  on  the  threshold  ;  she 
held  out  her  delicate  hands,  streaming  with  blood. 
A  clamour  rose  from  the  street.  ^^O  God,  have 
88 


THE  LEAP  FROM  THE  CHAPEL 

pity  on  her  I     Fair  Queen,  honoured  Queen,  what 

evil  chance  sent  these  men,  who  have  betrayed  you, 

upon  earth  !     Curses  upon  them  V^     ^  Then  the 

Queen  was   dragged   forth    to    the  flaming  pyre» 

Then  Dinas,  lord  of  Lidan,  fell  at  the  King's  feet  ; 

^  ^*  Sire,  hearken  to  me  ;    I  have  served  thee  long 

and  faithfully,  without  reward,  for  there  is  no  poor 

man,  nor  orphan,  nor  old  woman,  who  would  give  me 

a  farthing  for  thy  seneschalship  which  I  have  held 

all  my  life»    In  return,  grant  me  the  Queen's  pardon» 

Thou  wouldst  burn  her  without  trial  ;  this  is  un^ 

righteous,  for  she  does  not  acknowledge  the  crime 

of  which  she  is  accused.     Think  of  this,  moreover  : 

if  thou  burnest  her,  there  will  be  no  more  safety  in 

this  land»    Tristram  has  escaped  ;  he  knows  all  the 

plains,  woods,  fords,  and  passages»     True,  thou  art 

his  uncle,  he  will  not  attack  thee  ;  but  he  will  slay 

all  the  barons  thy  vassals  whom  he  can  surprise»'' 

^  Then  the  four  felons  turn  pale  as  they  listen; 

they  seem  to  see  Tristram  watching  for  them  in 

ambuscade»      ^  **  King,"  said  the  seneschal,  ^^  if 

it  be  true  that  I  have  served  thee  well  all  my  life, 

give  Iseult  into  my  charge  ;  I  will  answer  for  her 

as  her  keeper  and  surety»"     ^  But  the  King  took 

Dinas  by  the  hand,  and  swore  by  the  saints  that 

he  would  do  instant  justice  upon  her»     ^  Then 

Dinas  rose,  saying  :   *^  King,  I  go  back  to  Lidan, 

and   I   forswear  thy  service  from  this  day  forth»" 

89 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
^  Iseult  smiled  sadly  at  him.  He  mounted  his 
charger  and  rode  away  sombre  and  sorrowful,  with 
bowed  head*  ^  Iseult  stood  up  before  the  blazing 
pyre*  The  crowd  pressed  round,  cursing  the  King 
and  cursing  the  traitors*  The  tears  ran  down  her 
cheeks.  She  was  clad  in  a  close-fitting  grey  tunic, 
interwoven  with  slender  threads  of  gold  ;  a  golden 
fillet  bound  her  hair,  which  fell  to  her  feet.  He 
who  could  have  looked  at  her  in  her  beauty  with' 
out  pity  would  have  had  a  felon's  heart.  God  I 
how  tightly  her  arms  were  bound  I  ^  Now  a 
hundred  lepers,  deformed  and  hideous,  with  white 
and  cancerous  flesh,  came  along  on  their  crutches, 
to  the  sound  of  their  rattles,  and  crowded  round  the 
pyre,  and  their  bloodshot  eyes  glowered  under  their 
enflamed  eyelids,  rejoicing  at  the  sight.  ^  Yvain, 
the  most  hideous  of  the  crew,  cried  to  the  King  in 
a  harsh  voice  :  ^  ^^  Sire,  thou  art  about  to  throw 
thy  wife  into  this  furnace  ;  the  punishment  is  just, 
but  overbrief.  This  great  fire  will  soon  burn  her, 
this  great  wind  will  soon  scatter  her  ashes  abroad. 
And  when  this  flame  dies  out  anon,  her  penance 
will  be  at  an  end.  Shall  I  tell  thee  of  a  more  cruel 
chastisement,  causing  her  to  live  in  dishonour, 
longing  for  death  ?  ''  ^  Then  the  King  answered  : 
^  **  Yes,  let  her  live  in  dishonour,  longing  for 
death.  He  who  will  tell  me  of  such  a  punishment 
will  deserved  my  thanks.''  ^  ''  Sire,  I  will  tell 
90 


THE  LEAP  FROM  THE  CHAPEL 
fou  my  thought  in  a  few  words»  See,  we  are  a 
company  of  one  hundred*  Give  Iseult  to  us,  and 
we  will  share  her  among  us.  Our  disease  kindles 
our  desire*  Give  her  to  thy  lepers,  no  lady  will 
ever  make  a  more  hideous  end.  Look  at  our  rags 
and  sores.  She  who  delighted  in  rich  stuffs  lined 
with  fur,  in  jewels,  in  marble  halls,  in  rich  wines, 
in  honour,  in  joy,  when  she  enters  our  hovels  and 
lies  with  us,  will  confess  her  sin  and  regret  this 
pyre  of  thorns.  ^^  ^  The  King  listened,  rose,  and 
remained  motionless  for  a  while.  Then  he 
hastened  to  the  Queen  and  took  her  by  the  hand. 
Iseult  cried  aloud  :  ^  ^^  Mercy,  sire,  and  burn 
me.^'  ^  But  the  King  gave  her  up.  Yvain  took 
her  and  the  lepers  crowded  round  her.  All  hearts 
melted  with  pity  to  hear  them  shout  and  yelp. 
But  Yvain  rejoiced,  and  Iseult  passed  on,  Yvain 
leading  her.  The  hideous  procession  descended 
from  the  city.  ^They  took  the  road  where 
Tristram  lay  in  ambush.  Gorvenal  uttered  a  cry  : 
^  ''  My  son,  what  wilt  thou  do  ?  Here  is  thy 
beloved/^  ^Then  Tristram  spurred  his  horse 
out  of  the  thicket  :  ^^*  Yvain,  thou  hast  been 
long  enough  in  her  company  ;  leave  her  now  if 
thou  wouldst  live.^^  ^  But  Yvain  unclasped  his 
mantle  :  CJ  ^*  Courage,  comrades  !  Use  your 
sticks,  your  crutches  I  Now  is  the  moment  to 
show  your  prowess  1  ^'     ^  Then  was  it  wonderful 

9t 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
to  sec  the  lepers  throw  away  their  cloaks,  plant 
themselves  upon  their  diseased  feet,  pant,  scream^ 
and  brandish  their  crutches  ;  one  threatened, 
another  grunted.  But  Tristram  recoiled  from 
striking  them.  The  chroniclers  say  that  he  killed 
Yvain  ;  this  is  false  ;  he  was  too  gallant  a  knight 
to  slay  such  spawn.  But  Gorvenal,  tearing  up  an 
oak  sapling,  brought  it  down  upon  Yvain's  skull  ; 
the  black  blood  gushed  out  and  streamed  down  to 
his  shapeless  feet.  ^  Thus  Tristram  regained  the 
Queen  ;  thenceforth  she  felt  no  more  pain*  He  cut 
the  cords  from  her  arms,  and  leaving  the  plain, 
they  plunged  into  the  forest  of  Morois.  There  in 
the  dense  woodland,  Tristram  felt  safe  as  behind 
the  walls  of  a  fortress.  ^  When  the  sun  sank  low 
they  halted  all  three  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  ;  fear  had 
wearied  the  Queen  ;  she  leant  her  head  on 
Tristram's  body  and  slept.  ^  In  the  morning 
Gorvenal  stole  from  a  forester  a  bow  and  two 
arrows  well  feathered  and  barbed,  and  gave  them 
to  Tristram,  the  good  marksman,  who  surprised  a 
roe  and  killed  it.  Gorvenal  made  a  heap  of  dry 
branches,  struck  a  spark  from  a  flint,  and  lighted 
a  great  fire  to  cook  the  venison.  Tristram  cut 
branches,  built  a  hut,  and  covered  it  with  foliage. 
Iseult  strewed  it  with  thick  grass.  ^Then  a 
hard  life  began  for  the  fugitives  in  the  heart  of  the 
wild  forest,  yet  was  it  dear  to  them  both. 
92 


IX,  THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS 


Nous  avons  perdu  te  monde  et  te 
monde  nous  ;  que  vous  en  sembte 
Tristan,  ami? — Amie,  quand  je 
vous  ai  avec  moi,  que  me  fault- 
il  donc  }  Se  tous  ti  mondes  estoit 
orendroit  avec  nous,  je  ne  verroie 
fors  vous  seule 

PROSE  ROMANCE  OF  **TRISTi 


T 


ND  thus  for  a  long 
time  they  wandered 
in  the  heart  of  the 
wild  forest,  like 
hunted  beasts,  and 
rarely  did  they  ven-* 
ture  to  return  at 
evening  to  their  lodg^ 
ing  of  the  night 
before.  Their  only 
food  was  the  meat  of 
wild  creatures,  and  they  missed  the  savour  of  salt 
and  bread.  Their  faces  grew  thin  and  pale,  their 
garments  fell  into  rags  torn  by  thorns.  But  they 
loved,  and  they  did  not  suffer.  ^  One  day,  as 
they  were  passing  through  those  great  woods  which 
had  never  felt  the  axe,  they  happened  upon  the 
hermitage  of  Friar  Ogrin.  ^  The  old  man, 
leaning  on  his  crutches,  was  walking  slowly  in  a 
grove  of  slender  maples  near  his  cell.  ^  ^^  Sir 
Tristram,^'  he  cried,  ^^you  must  know  that  the 
men  of  Cornwall  have  sworn  a  mighty  oath.  The 
King  has  proclaimed  you  under  ban  in  all  the 
churches,  promising  that  any  man  who  captures 
you  shall  receive  one  hundred  gold  marks  for  re^ 
compense,  and  all  the  barons  have  sworn  to  bring 
you  in  dead  or  alive.  Repent  you  of  your  sins, 
Tristram.    God  will    forgive    the    sinner    who    is 

95 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
I  penitent/'  ^  ''  Repent,  Sir  Ogrin  ?  of  what  crime  ? 
^  You  who  judge  us,  do  you  know  of  the  potion 
we  drank  on  the  sea  ?  Yes,  that  goodly  draught 
intoxicates  us,  and  I  would  rather  beg  on  the  high 
road  all  my  life  long,  and  live  on  herbs  and  roots 
with  Iseult,  than  be  king  of  a  fair  kingdom 
without  her/'  ^  ^*  Sir  Tristram,  then  may  God 
help  you,  for  you  have  lost  both  this  world  and  the 
next*  It  is  ordained  that  the  traitor  to  his  lord 
should  be  torn  in  pieces  by  horses,  and  burnt; 
where  his  ashes  fall  no  grass  will  grow  henceforth, 
and  the  ground  is  ploughed  in  vain;  trees  and 
grass  wither  and  die  there»  Tristram,  give  back 
the  Queen  to  him  who  espoused  her  according  to 
the  law  of  Rome/'  ^  ^^  She  is  his  no  longer  ;  he 
gave  her  to  his  lepers*  It  was  from  the  lepers  that 
I  took  her.  Henceforth  she  is  mine  ;  I  cannot 
part  from  her,  nor  she  from  me/'  ^  Ogrin  had 
seated  himself  ;  at  his  feet  Iseult  was  weeping,  her 
head  on  the  knees  of  the  man  who  suffered  for 
God.  The  hermit  repeated  the  holy  words  of  the 
Book  to  her  ;  but  she  shook  her  head,  weeping, 
and  refused  to  believe.  ^  ^^  Alas  I  "  said  Ogrin, 
^*  what  comfort  can  I  give  to  these  dead  ?  Repent, 
Tristram,  for  he  who  lives  in  sin  without  repent^ 
ance  is  dead."  ^  **  No,  I  live  and  I  repent  not. 
We  will  return  to  the  forest  which  guards  and 
protects  us.  Come,  Iseult,  beloved."  ^  Iseult  rose, 
96 


THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS 

and  they  clasped  hands^    They  stepped  into  the  high 

grasses  and  heather  ;  the  trees  closed  their  branches 

over   them  ;  they  disappeared  behind  the   foliage» 

^  Now  listen,  gentles,  to  a  fair  adventure*     Tris^ 

tram  had  reared  a  fine  hound,  swift  and  eager  in 

the  chase  ;  neither  king  nor  baron  had  his  like  for 

hunting  with  the  bow.      He  was  called^ilusdent. 

They  had    been  obliged   to   shut   him   up  in   the 

donjon  with  a  log  hung  about  his  neck.    From  the 

day  he  had  missed  his  master,  he  had  refused  all 

food,   and  he  ceased  not   to   scratch   the   ground, 

to  weep  and  to  howL       Many  had  pity  on  him. 

^  ^^  Husdent,^^  said  they,  ^*  no  beast  has  ever  loved 

so  truly  as  thou  ;    well  did  Solomon  say  :    ^  My 

true  friend  is  my  hound.  ^  ^'     ^  And  King  Mark, 

remembering  the  days  of  yore,  thought  in  his  heart  : 

^^The  dog  shows  his  good  sense  when  he  laments 

his  lord  thus  ;   for  where  in  all  Cornwall  is  there 

one  to  equal  Tristram  ?  ^^      ^  Then  three  barons 

came  to  the  King.     ^  ^^  Sire,  cause  Husdent  to  be 

loosed  ;  we  shall  see  if  he  grieves  thus  for  the  loss 

of  his  master.     If  not  you  will  see  how,  directly 

he  is  free,  he  will  rush  upon  men  and  beasts  with 

open  jaws  and  outstretched  tongue,  to  bite  them.^^ 

^  So  he  was  unbound.     He  sprang  through  the 

doorway  and  rushed  to  the  chamber  where  he  was 

wont    to    find   Tristram.       He    growled,   whined, 

sniffed  about,  and  finally  found  his  master^s  scent. 

G  97 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
Then  he  followed  step  by  step  the  road  Tristram 
had  taken  to  the  pyre*  Every  one  followed  him* 
He  barked  loudly  and  began  to  climb  towards  the 
cliff*  Then  he  entered  the  chapel  and  sprang  upon 
the  altar  ;  suddenly  he  leapt  out  of  the  window, 
fell  to  the  base  of  the  rock,  picked  up  the  scent 
again  on  the  beach,  halted  for  a  moment  in  the 
flowery  wood  where  Tristram  had  lain  ambushed, 
and  then  set  out  for  the  forest*  All  who  saw  him 
pitied  him*  ''  Fair  King,''  then  said  the  knights, 
**  let  us  follow  him  no  farther  ;  he  might  lead  us 
to  a  place  whence  it  would  be  difficult  to  return*'' 
^  So  they  left  him  and  went  back*  In  the  forest 
the  dog  gave  tongue,  and  his  baying  resounded 
among  the  trees*  Tristram,  the  Queen,  and  Gor^ 
venal  heard  him  from  afar*  ^^It  is  Husdent*" 
They  were  alarmed*  Surely  the  King  was  pursuing 
them,  and  sent  hounds  to  seize  them  like  wild 
beasts  *  ♦  .  They  crept  into  a  thicket*  Tristram 
waited  at  the  outskirts,  his  bow  strung*  But  when 
Hus6ënt  saw  and  recognised  his  lord,  he  bounded 
towards  him,  shaking  his  head  and  his  tail,  curving 
his  backbone,  and  rolling  himself  into  a  ball.  Did 
ever  beast  show  such  joy  ?  Then  he  ran  to  Iseult 
the  Fair,  to  Gorvenal,  and  even  greeted  the  horse. 
Tristram  felt  sorry  for  him*  ^  ^^  Alas  I  what  evil 
chance  brought  him  to  us  I  What  can  a  hunted 
man  do  with  this  dog,  which  cannot  keep  quiet  ? 


THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS 
The  King  is  tracking  us  over  plains  and  woods^ 
throughout  his  dominions  ;  Husdent  will  betray  us 
by  his  barking.  Ah  !  it  is  his  love  and  his  noble 
nature  that  lead  him  to  his  death.  Yet  must  we 
safeguard  ourselves.  What  shall  I  do  ?  Counsel  me/' 
^  Iseult  caressed  Husdent  and  said  :  ^  ^^  Sir,  spare 
him  I  I  have  heard  tell  of  a  Welsh  forester  who 
taught  his  dog  to  follow  the  bloody  tracks  of 
wounded  stags  without  barking.  Dear  Tristram, 
what  joy  it  would  be  for  us  if,  by  dint  of  patience, 
we  could  train  Husdent  thus.'^  ^  He  considered 
for  a  moment,  while  the  dog  was  licking  Iseult's 
hands.  Tristram  had  pity  on  him  and  said  : 
^  ''  I  will  try.  It  would  be*  too  hard  to  kill  him.'' 
^  Presently  Tristram  gave  chase,  dislodged  a  roe^ 
buck,  and  wounded  it  with  an  arrow.  The  dog 
essayed  to  rush  in  pursuit  of  the  roe,  barking  so 
loudly  that  the  woods  resounded.  Tristram 
silenced  him  by  beating  him.  Husdent  raised  his 
head  to  his  master  in  astonishment,  and  not  daring 
to  bark  again,  he  gave  up  the  chase.  Ti^ram 
put  him  under  him,  then  slashed  his  boot  with  his 
switch  of  chestnut  wood,  as  huntsmen  do  to  excite 
their  hounds.  At  this  signal  Husdent  began  to 
bark  again,  and  once  more  Tristram  chastised  him. 
Teaching  him  thus,  by  the  end  of  a  month  he  had 
trained  him  to  hunt  in  silence  ;  when  his  arrow 
had  wounded  a  stag  or  a  roe,  Husdent  followed 

f  99 


A'ji»''^  Si 


ooî  '.'riG'^ï 


THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS 
)fest  ;  a  little  farther  off,  in  the  bower  of  branches* 
^ristram  lay  with  the  Queen  in  his  arms  on  the 
ower^'Strewn  ground,  and  both  slept  soundly* 
[[  Suddenly,  Gorvenal  heard  the  noise  of  a  pack  of 
ounds  ;  the  hounds  were  in  full  cry  after  a  stag, 
rhich.  sprang  into  the  ravine ♦  On  the  plain  in  the 
istance  appeared  a  hunter  ;  Gorvenal  recognised  / 
im;  it  was  Guenelon,  the  man  his  lord  hated  / 
bove  all  others»  Alone,  without  a  squire,  spurring 
le  bleeding  flanks  of  his  horse  and  lashing  his 
eck,  he  galloped  forward.  Lurking  behind  a  tree, 
rorvenal  watched  him  ;  he  comes  swiftly  ;  it  will 
ike  him  longer  to  return.  ^  He  passes*  Gorvenal 
prings  from  his  ambush,  seizes  the  bridle,  and, 
^calling  in  this  moment  all  the  evil  wrought  by  the* 
lan,  he  strikes  him  down,  dismembers  him,  and 
oes  away,  carrying  the  severed  head  with  him. 
I  In  the  forest  on  the  flower^strewn  floor  of  the 
ut  Tristram  and  the  Queen  slumbered  in  each 
therms  arms.  Gorvenal  came  thither  noiselessly,  the 
ead  man^s  head  in  his  hand.  ^  When  the  huntsmen 
Dund  the  headless  trunk  under  the  tree,  they  fled 
1  terror,  fearing  death,  as  if  Tristram  were  pursuing 
lem.  Thereafter,  none  ever  came  hunting  in  that 
rood.  ^  Gorvenal  fastened  the  head  by  the  hair 
3  the  fork  of  the  hut,  to  rejoice  his  lord^s  heart  at 
is  awakening  ;  the  thick  foliage  encircled  it. 
Tristram  awoke,  and  saw  the  head  looking  at 

101 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
him,  half  hidden  by  the  leaves»  He  recognised 
Guenelon,  and  sprang  to  his  feet  in  alarm.  But 
his  master  cried  :  ^  *^  Fear  not,  he  is  dead.  I 
slew  him  with  this  sword.  Son,  was  he  not  thine 
enemy?''  ^  And  Tristram  rejoiced:  Guenelonwhom 
he  hated  was  slain.  ^  Thenceforth  none  dared  to 
enter  that  wild  forest;  Fear  stood  sentinel  at  its  open^ 
îngs,  and  the  lovers  were  its  lords.  It  was  then  that 
Tristram  fashioned  the  bow  Qui^ne^faut,  which 
never  failed  to  hit  the  mark,  man  or  beast,  at  the 
spot  aimed  at.  ^  Gentles,  it  was  a  summer's  day 
at  the  time  of  hay  harvest,  soon  after  Whitsuntide, 
and  the  birds  were  singing  in  the  dew,  of  the 
approaching  dawn.  Tristram  came  out  of  the  hut, 
girded  on  his  sword,  prepared  the  bow  Qui^ne^faut, 
and  went  alone  to  hunt  in  the  forest.  Before 
night  fell,  a  great  misadventure  befell  him.  Never 
did  lovers  love  so  much,  and  suffer  so  greatly  for 
their  fault.  ^  When  Tristram  came  back  from  the 
chase,  overcome  by  the  heat,  he  took  the  Queen  in 
his  arms.  ^  **  Beloved,  where  hast  thou  been  ?  " 
^  *^  Chasing  a  stag  which  has  wearied  me.  See, 
the  sweat  runs  from  my  limbs  ;  I  would  lie  down 
and  sleep."  ^  Beneath  the  bower  of  green  branches, 
Iseult  lay  down  first  on  the  fresh  strewn  grass, 
Tristram  stretched  himself  beside  her,  and  placed 
his  naked  sword  between  their  bodies.  Happily, 
they  kept  on  their  garments.  The  Queen  had  on 
102 


THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS 
her  finger  the  gold  ring  set  with  fair  emeralds 
which  King  Mark  had  given  her  on  their  weddings 
day  ;  her  hand  had  become  so  thin  that  the  ring 
would  scarcely  keep  on  it^  They  were  sleeping; 
thus  in  a  close  embrace,  one  of  Tristram's  arms 
under  his  beloved's  neck,  the  other  over  her  fair 
body,  but  their  lips  were  not  touching*  There 
was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  not  a  leaf  trembled* 
Through  the  leafy  roof,  a  sunbeam  fell  upon  the 
face  of  Iseult,  which  gleamed  like  an  icicle.  ^  Now 
a  forester  had  noted  in  the  wood  a  place  where  the 
grass  was  trampled.  The  lovers  had  slept  there 
the  day  before  ;  but  not  recognising  the  impress 
of  their  bodies,  he  followed  the  track  and  came  to 
their  lodging.  He  saw  them  sleeping,  recognised 
them  and  fled,  fearing  Tristram's  fierce  awakening.. 
He  fled  to  Tintagel,  two  leagues  thence,  and  came 
to  the  King,  who  was  holding  a  court  of  justice 
among  his  assembled  vassals.  ^  ^^  Friend,  what 
seekest  thou  here,  breathless  as  I  see  thee  ?  Thou 
art  even  as  a  tender  of  hounds  who  has  been  long 
running  after  the  dogs.  Hast  thou  also  come  to 
complain  of  some  wrong  done  to  thee  ?  Who  hath 
driven  thee  from  my  forest  ?"  ^  Then  the  forester 
took  him  aside,  and  said  in  his  ear  :  ^  ^M  have 
seen  Tristram  and  the  Queen.  They  were  sleeps 
ing,  and  terror  seized  me."  Ç]  ^^  Where  was  the 
place  ?"      ^  'Mn  a  hut  in  the  Morois.      They 

103 


I 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
were  sleeping  in  each  other's  arms»  Come 
quickly,  if  thou  wouldst  take  vengeance»  ^  ^^  Go 
and  wait  for  me  at  the  entrance  to  the  wood, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Red  Cross»  Speak  to  none 
of  what  thou  hast  seen»  I  will  give  thee  gold 
and  silver,  as  much  as  thou  wilt»''  ^  The 
forester  departed  and  seated  himself  under  the 
Red  Cross»  Curses  on  the  spy!  But  he  died 
shamefully,  as  this  history  will  tell  anon.  ^  The 
King  caused  his  horse  to  be  saddled,  girded  on  his 
sword,  and  stole  away  from  the  city,  riding  alone» 
And  as  he  rode  he  thought  of  the  night  when  he 
had  seized  his  nephew;  what  tenderness  Iseult  the 
Fair,  the  bright^faced,  had  shown  for  Tristram! 
If  he  should  surprise  them  again,  he  would  punish 
these  evil-doers,  he  would  be  avenged  on  those  who 
had  shamed  him»  »  »  »  ^  At  the  Red  Cross  he  found 
the  forester.  ^  ^^Go  in  front;  lead  me  straight 
and  swiftly»"  ^  The  black  shadow  of  the  great 
trees  wrapt  them  about»  The  King  followed  the 
spy»  He  trusts  to  his  sword,  which  has  dealt 
many  a  valiant  blow  in  the  past»  *'  Ah  I  if  Tris^ 
tram  should  wake,  one  of  the  two,  God  knoweth 
which,  will  not  leave  the  spot  alive»  At  last  the 
forester  whispered  :  ^  **  King,  we  are  approach^ 
ing»"  ^  He  held  his  stirrup,  and  tied  the 
horse's  reins  to  the  branches  of  a  green  apple-  f^[ 
tree»  Then  they  drew  nearer,  till  suddenly,  in  a  |  | 
104 


THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS 

sunny   glade,    they    saw    the    flower ^ decked    hut. 

^  Then  the  King  unfastened    the  golden  clasps 

of  his  mantle,  and  threw  it    off,   and    his    hand^ 

some   body  appeared.     He   drew  his  sword  from 

the    sheath,    and    said    once    more    in    his    heart 

that  he  would  either  die  or  kill  them  both.     The 

forester  followed  him  ;  he   made  him  a  sign  to  go 

back.     ^  Alone  he  entered  the  hut,  brandishing 

his  naked  sword.  .  ♦  .     Ah  I  what  mourning  will 

there  be  if  this  stroke  goes  home.     But  he  noted 

that  their  lips  were  not  touching  each  other,  and 

that    a   naked    sword    lay  between    their    bodies. 

^  ^^Godr^  said  he,  ^^what  do  I  see?      Must  I 

indeed  slay  them  ?     Living  in  this  wood  as  they 

have  done  for  so  long,  would  they,  if  they  loved 

madly,  have  laid  this  naked  sword  between  them  ? 

And  is  it  not  known  of  all  that  a  naked  blade, 

separating  two  bodies,  is  the  gage  and  guardian  of 

chastity.     If  they  loved  with  a  guilty  love,  would 

they  be  resting  thus  chastely  ?      No,  I  will    not 

slay  them  ;  it  would  be  a  sin  to  strike  them  ;  and 

if  I  should  wake  this  sleeper,  and  one  of  us  two 

should  be  slain,  there  would  be  much  talk  of  the 

matter,  to  our  shame.     But  I  will  so  do  that  on 

waking  they  may  know  that  I  found  them  asleep, 

that  I  did  not  desire  their  death,  and  that  God  has 

had   pity   on  them."'       ^  The   sun,   piercing  the 

boughs   of    the  bower,   shone    hot    on   the  white 

105 

I 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
face  of  Iseult  ;  the  King  took  his  ermine -trimmed 
gloves  :  ^  ^^  It  was  she/'  he  said,  ^^  who  brought 
them  to  me  from  Ireland  I  •  •  /'  He  thrust  them 
among  the  foliage  to  fill  up  the  hole  through  which 
the  sunbeam  fell  ;  then  he  gently  drew  off  the 
emerald  ring  he  had  given  the  Queen;  once  he 
had  had  to  force  it  a  little  to  get  it  on  her  finger, 
but  now  her  hand  was  so  thin  that  the  ring  slipped 
off  easily  ;  in  its  place,  the  King  put  the  ring  Iseult 
had  given  him  of  yore*  Then  he  took  the  sword 
that  lay  between  the  lovers — he  recognised  it  as 
the  one  a  splinter  of  which  had  been  left  in  the 
skull  of  Marhaus — put  his  own  in  its  place,  came 
out  of  the  bower,  sprang  into  his  saddle,  and  said 
to  the  forester  :  ^  ^^  Fly  now,  and  save  thy  skin, 
if  thou  canst/'  ^  Now  Iseult  had  a  dream  as  she 
slept  :  she  was  in  a  splendid  tent,  in  the  midst  of  a 
great  forest»  Two  lions  sprang  upon  her  and  fought 
for  her  •  ♦  ♦  She  uttered  a  cry  and  woke  ;  the 
ermine-'trimmed  gloves  fell  upon  her  breast.  At  the 
cry,  Tristram  sprang  to  his  feet,  snatched  at  his 
sword,  and  recognised  that  of  the  King  by  its 
golden  hilt.  And  the  Queen  saw  Mark's  ring 
on  her  finger.  She  cried  :  ^  ^^  Sir,  woe  to  us  I 
The  King  has  tracked  us."  ^  ''  Yes,"  said  Tris- 
tram, **  he  has  taken  away  my  sword  ;  he  was 
alone,  he  was  afraid,  he  has  gone  to  fetch  help; 

he  will  come  back,  and  have  us  burnt  in  the  sight 

106  1 


THE  FOREST  OF  MOROIS 
of  the  people»     Let  us  fly/'     ^  Accompanied  by 
Gorvenal,    they  fled,  travelling    all    day,   towards 
Wales,  even  to  the  confines  of  the  forest.     What 
pains  did  they  suffer  for  love  1 


107 


; 


( 


X.  THE  HERMIT  OGRIN 


/ 


Aspre  vie  metnent  et  dure 
Tant  s'entraiment  de  bone  àmor 
Uuns  oor  l'autre  ne  sent  dolor 

BÉROUL 


FTER    three     days, 

when  Tristram   had 

long      followed     the 

tracks  of  a  wounded 

stag,  night  came  on, 

and  he  began  to  pon^ 

der  in  the  dark  wood: 

^  ''  No,  it  was  not 

by    reason     of    fear 

that  the  King  spared 

us.     He   had    taken 

my  sword,  I  was  asleep,  I  was  at  his  mercy,  he 

might  have  struck  ;   what  need  had  he  of  help  ? 

And  if  he  wished  to  take  me  alive,  why,  having 

disarmed  me,    should    he   have   left   me    his   own 

sword  ?     Ah  !  I  know  thee,  my  father  !      It  was 

not   fear,    but  pity  and  love  that  moved  thee  to  >\ 

pardon  us  ?     To  pardon  ?     Who  could  overlook 

such  a  crime  without  abasing  himself  ?     No,  he 

did  not  pardon,  but  he  understood.     He  knew  that 

at  the  stake,  in  the  leap  from  the  chapel,  in  the  ^ 

ambush   against   the  lepers,   God  had   us  in    His 

keeping.     Then  he  remembered  the  boy  who  once 

sat  harping  at  his  feet,  and  how  I  had  left  my  land 

of  Lyonnesse  for  him,  and  Marhaus'spear^head,and 

the  blood  I  shed  for  his  honour.      He  remembered 

that  I  did  not  plead  guilty,  but  that  I  vainly  de^ 

manded  judgment,  justice,  and  battle,  and  his  noble 

ill 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
heart  inclined  him  to  understand  things  that  those 
around  him  cannot  understand;  not  that  he  knows 
or  can  ever  know  the  truth  of  our  love  ;  but  he 
doubts,  he  hopes,  he  knows  that  I  did  not  lie,  he 
wishes  me  to  prove  my  right  in  battle*  Ah  !  fair 
uncle,  might  I  but  be  the  victor  in  battle  by  God's 
help,  and  don  hauberk  and  helmet  once  more  for 
thee  I  What  am  I  saying  ?  He  would  take  back 
Iseult  ;  I  should  give  her  up  to  him  ?  Why  did  he 
not  rather  slay  me  as  I  slept  ?  Formerly,  when  I 
was  hunted  down  by  him,  I  could  hate  him  and 
forget  him  ;  he  gave  Iseult  to  the  lepers  ;  she  was 
his  no  longer,  she  was  mine*  Now  by  his  com-* 
passion  he  has  revived  my  affection  and  won  back 
the  Queen*  The  Queen  ?  Yes,  with  him  she  was 
a  queen,  and  here  in  the  forest  she  lives  like  a  serf* 
What  have  I  done  with  her  youth  ?  Instead  of 
chambers  with  silken  hangings,  I  give  her  this 
wild  forest  ;  a  hut  instead  of  her  costly  tapestries  ; 
and  it  is  for  me  that  she  travels  this  harsh  road*  To 
the  Lord  God,  King  of  the  World,  I  cry  for  mercy, 
and  I  pray  Him  to  give  me  strength  to  give  back 
Iseult  to  Mark*  Is  she  not  his  wife,  espoused 
according  to  the  laws  of  Rome,  before  all  the  great 
men  of  his  kingdom  ?  '^  ^  And  Tristram  leant 
on  his  bow,  and  wept  and  lamented  in  the  darkness* 
^  In  the  thorn<encircled  thicket  which  served  them 
for  shelter,  Iseult  the  Fair  awaited  Tristram's  return. 

112 


1 


THE  HERMIT  OGRIN 

By  the  light  of  a  moonbeam,  she  saw  the  gleam  of 

the  gold  ring  King  Mark  had  slipped  on  her  finger* 

She  thought  :     ^  ^^  He  who  gave  me  this  gold  ring 

of  his  fair  courtesy  is  not  the  angry  husband  who 

cast  me  to  the  lepers  ;  no,  he  is  the  tender  lord 

who  from  the  day  I  landed  on  his  shores  received 

me  and  protected  me*     How  he  loved  Tristram  1 

But  I  came,  and  what  have  I  done  ?     Ought  not 

Tristram  to  be  living  in  the  King's  palace,  with  a 

hundred  damoiseaux  around  him  to  be  his  retinue 

and  serve  him  that  they  may  become  armed  knights  ? 

Ought  he  not  to  be  riding  forth    to    courts  and 

throughout  baronies,  seeking  combats  and  adven^ 

tures  ?     But  for  my  sake  he  forgets  all  chivalry, 

exiled  from  the  court,  hunted  like  a  wild  beast  in 

this  forest,  leading  this  wild  life/'     ^  She  heard 

Tristram's  footsteps  among  the  leaves  and  the  dead 

branches,  and  she  came  out,  as  was  her  wont,  to 

meet  him  and  relieve  him  of  his  arms*     She  took 

the  bow  Qui^ne^faut  from  his  hand,  and  his  arrows, 

and  unfastened  the  buckles  of  his  sword*     ^  *^  Be^ 

loved,"  said  Tristram,  *^  this  is  the  sword  of  King 

Mark*     It  should  have  slain,  but  it  spared  us*" 

^  Iseult  took  the  sword   and  kissed  the   golden 

hilt,   and  Tristram  saw  that   she  was    weeping* 

^  ^^  Beloved,"  he  said,  ^^  could  I  but  make  peace 

with  the  King  !  would  he  but  suffer  me  to  maintain 

in  battle  that  never  by  word  or  deed  have  I  offered 

H  113 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
you  a  guilty  love,  every  knight  of  his  kingdom, 
from  Lidan  to  Durham,  who  should  dare  to  say 
otherwise  should  find  me  ready  to  meet  him 
in  the  lists»  Then,  if  the  King  would  consent 
to  keep  me  in  his  retinue,  I  would  serve  him 
honourably,  as  my  lord  and  father;  and  if  he 
chose  rather  to  keep  you  and  to  send  me  away, 
I  would  go  to  Frisia  or  to  Brittany  with  Gorvenal 
as  my  sole  companion»  But  wheresoever  I  go. 
Queen,  and  always,  I  shall  be  yours»  Iseult,  I  would 
not  think  of  this  separation,  but  for  the  miseries 
you  have  so  long  endured  for  me,  fair  one,  in  this 
wild  region.''  ^  '*  Tristram,  remember  the  hermit 
Ogrin  in  his  grove.  Let  us  return  to  him,  and  let 
us  cry  to  the  mighty  King  of  Heaven  for  mercy, 
beloved.''  ^  Then  they  roused  Gorvenal  ;  Iseult 
mounted  the  horse,  which  Tristram  led  by  the 
bridle,  and  all  night,  passing  through  their  beloved 
woods  for  the  last  time,  they  journeyed  in  silence. 
^  At  dawn  they  rested,  then  they  went  their  way 
again  until  they  came  to  the  hermitage.  Ogrin 
was  reading  in  a  book.  He  saw  them,  and  called 
to  them  tenderly  from  afar  :  ^  ^*  Friends  I  how 
love  drives  you  from  misery  to  misery.  How  long 
will  your  madness  last  ?  Courage.  Repent." 
^  Then  Tristram  said  to  him  :  ^  ''  Listen,  Sir 
Ogrin.  Help  us  to  make  peace  with  the  King.  I 
will  restore  the  Queen  to  him»  Then  I  will  go 
114 


AU  night,  passing  through  the  beloved  woods  for  the 

last  time,  they  journeyed  in  silence. 

Page  115 


iiiK: 


111  j^^rH 


THE  HERMIT  CXJRIN 
far  away,  to  Brittany  or  Frisia;  some  day,  if 
the  King  will  suffer  me,  I  will  come  back  and 
serve  him  as  I  ought/'  ^  Then  Iseult  said  in 
her  turn,  bowing  herself  at  the  hermit's  feet  : 
^  ^M  will  live  no  longer  thus^  I  say  not  that  I 
repent  of  having  loved  Tristram  and  of  loving  him 
now  and  always  ;  but  our  bodies  at  least  shall 
part/'  ^  The  hermit  wept  and  praised  God  :  ^^O 
God!  mighty  King!  I  thank  Thee  for  having  suffered 
me  to  live  long  enough  to  succour  these  two/' 
He  gave  them  wise  counsel,  then  he  took  ink  and 
parchment  and  wrote  a  letter  in  which  Tristram 
offered  to  make  a  compact  with  the  King*  When 
he  had  set  down  all  the  words  that  Tristram  told 
him,  Tristram  set  his  seal  to  them*  ^  ^^  Who 
will  carry  this  letter  ?  "  asked  the  hermit.  ^  ''  I 
will  bear  it  myself/'  ^  ''  No,  Sir  Tristram,  you 
must  not  go  on  this  perilous  adventure*  I  will  go 
for  you,  I  know  all  the  people  of  the  castle/' 
^  *^  Peace,  Sir  Ogrin,  the  Queen  shall  stay  in  your 
hermitage  ;  at  nightfall  I  will  go  with  my  squire, 
who  shall  keep  my  horse/'  ^  When  darkness  fell 
upon  the  forest,  Tristram  set  out  with  GorvenaL 
At  the  gates  of  Tintagel  he  left  the  squire*  The 
watchers  sounded  their  trumpets  on  the  walls*  He 
slipped  into  the  moat,  and  passed  through  the 
town  at  peril  of  his  life*  As  of  old,  he  scaled  the 
sharp  fence  of  the   orchard,  and  saw   again  the 

"5 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
marble  terrace,  the  fountain,  and  the  great  pine-* 
tree  ;  he  approached  the  window  behind  which  the 
King    was    sleeping,    and    called     softly*       Mark 
awoke*     ^  ^^Who   art  thou,  who  callest   me  at 
such   an  hour   of  the   night  ?  '^     ^  ^*  Sire,  I  am 
called  Tristram,  and  I  bring  you  a  letter  ;  I  will 
leave  it  here,  on  the  grating  of  this  window*     Send 
your  answer  to  the  Red  Cross,  and  fasten  it  to  the 
branches.'"     ^  ^*  For  the  love  of  God,  fair  nephew, 
wait  for  me*"'     ^  He  sprang  to  the  window-'Sill, 
and  cried  thrice  into  the  night:     ^  ^^  Tristram, 
Tristram,  Tristram,  my  son  I  '"     ^  But  Tristram 
had  fled*      He   joined  his  squire  and  was  in  the 
saddle  at  one  bound*     ^  *^  Madman  I  "'  said  Gor^ 
venal,  ''  hasten,  fly  by  this  road*"'     ^  At  last  they 
came    to   the    hermitage,   where    they    found    the 
hermit  praying  and  Iseult  weeping* 


u6 


XL  THE  FORD  PERILOUS 


^ 


O^z,  vous  tous  gai  passez  par  ta  voie. 
Venez  ca,  chascun  de  vous  voie 
S'il  est  douleur  fors  que  la  moie 
C'est  Tristan  que  la  mort  mestroie 

LE  LAI  MORTEL 


ARK  sent  for  his 
chaplain  and  gave 
him  the  letter*  The 
clerk  broke  the  seal 
and  first  saluted  the 
King  in  Tristram^s 
name  ;  then,  having 
skilfully  deciphered 
the  written  words, 
he  reported  Tris*' 
tramps  request. 
Vlark  listened  in  silence,  rejoicing  in  his  heart, 
for  he  still  loved  the  Queen*  ^  Then  he  convoked 
the  most  considerable  among  his  barons  by  name, 
and  when  they  were  all  assembled,  they  held 
their  peace  and  the  King  spoke  :  ^  *^  My  lords, 
I  have  received  this  letter.  I  am  King  over 
you,  and  ye  are  my  liegemen*  Listen  to  the 
things  which  are  asked  of  me  ;  then  give  me 
counsel,  I  pray,  since  you  owe  me  counsel.^^ 
tj  The  chaplain  rose,  untied  the  parchment  with 
both  hands,  and  standing  before  the  King,  began  : 
^  ^^  My  lords,  Tristram  first  sends  love  and 
greeting  to  the  King  and  all  his  barons.  ^King,'  he 
continues,  *  when  I  killed  the  dragon  and  won  the 
King's  daughter  of  Ireland,  it  was  to  me  they  gave 
her  ;  I  was  free  to  keep  her,  but  I  would  not  ; 
I  brought  her  to  your  country  and  gave  her  up  to 

119 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
you»  But  scarcely  had  you  taken  her  to  wife, 
when  felons  caused  you  to  believe  their  lies*  In 
your  rage,  fair  lord  and  uncle,  you  meant  to  burn 
us  without  trial.  But  God  took  pity  on  us  ;  we 
made  intreaty  to  Him.  He  saved  the  Queen,  and 
this  justly;  and  I  also  escaped  by  the  power  of 
God,  when  I  threw  myself  from  a  high  rock. 
What  have  I  done  since  that  can  be  made  a 
reproach  to  me  ?  The  Queen  was  given  over  to 
lepers.  I  came  to  her  aid  and  carried  her  off; 
could  I  have  failed  in  this  duty  to  her  who  had  been 
like  to  die,  innocent  as  she  was,  for  my  sake  ? 
I  fled  with  her  into  the  forest  ;  could  I  have  come 
out  of  the  woods  and  descended  into  the  plain  to 
bring  her  back  to  you  ?  Had  you  not  commanded 
that  we  should  be  taken  dead  or  alive  ?  But  now 
as  then.  Sire,  I  am  ready  to  offer  my  gage,  and  to 
maintain  against  all  comers  in  battle  that  never 
did  the  Queen  bear  me,  nor  I  her,  a  love  that  was 
a  crime  against  you.  Ordain  a  combat  ;  I  will 
refuse  no  adversary,  and  if  I  cannot  make  good  my 
right,  burn  me  before  all  your  men.  But  if  I 
triumph,  and  if  it  please  you  to  take  back  Iseult 
of  the  bright  face,  no  baron  will  serve  you  more 
worthily  than  I  ;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  you  will 
none  of  me,  I  will  cross  the  sea,  and  offer  myself 
to  the  King  of  Galvoie  or  the  King  of  Frisia,  and 
you    will    never    hear    of    me    more.      Sire,    take 

120 


THE  FORD  PERILOUS 
counsel,  and  if  you  will  not  agree  with  me  in  any 
sort,   I    will    restore  Iseult  to   Ireland,  whence  I 
brought  her,  and  she  shall  be  Queen  in  her  own 
country/  ''     ^  When  the  barons  of  Cornwall  heard 
that  Tristram  offered  to  do  battle  against  them, 
they  all  said  to  the^King  :  ^  ''  Sire,  take  back  the 
Queen  ;  they  were  fools  who  slandered  her*     As 
to   Tristram,  let  him  go  as  he  says,  to  fight  in 
Galvoie  or  for  the  King  of  Frisia»     Bid  him  bring 
Iseult  back   on  an  appointed  day  and  speedily/' 
^  Then  the  King  asked  thrice  :  ^  ''  Doth  no  man 
come  forth  to  accuse  Tristram  ?  '^     ^  All  held 
their    peace.      Then    he    said    to    the    chaplain  : 
^  ^^  Write  a  letter  with  all  speed  ;  you  have  heard 
what  is  to  be  said;   hasten  and  write  it;   Iseult 
has  suffered  but  too  much  in  her  youthful  years  ! 
And  cause  the  charter  to  be  hung  on  the  branch 
of  the   Red  Cross   before   this    evening  ;    use   all 
despatch/'     ^  And  he  added  :    Ç[   ''  Say  further 
that  I  send  to  both  greeting  and  love/'     ^  Towards 
midnight,  Tristram  crossed  the  White  Plain,  found 
the  letter  and   brought  it,   sealed,  to   the   hermit 
Ogrin.     The   hermit   read  it   to   him  :   Mark,  on 
the  counsel  of  all  his  barons,  consented  to  take 
back    Iseult,   but    not   to    keep    Tristram   as    his 
champion  ;  Tristram  was  to  cross  the  seas  when,  in 
the  space  of  three  days,  he  should  have   delivered 
the  Queen  into  King  Mark's  hands  at  the  Ford 

121 


V 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
Perilous*  ^  ''  Ah  God  I  ''  said  Tristram,  ^' what 
grief  to  lose  you,  beloved!  But  so  it  must  be, 
seeing  that  I  can  now  save  you  the  suffering  you 
bear  because  of  me*  When  the  moment  comes  for 
us  to  part  I  will  give  you  a  present,  a  gage  of  my 
love.  From  the  unknown  land  whither  I  go, 
I  will  send  you  a  messenger;  he  will  bring  me 
your  wishes,  beloved,  and  at  your  first  summons  I 
will  hasten  to  you  from  that  distant  country/' 
€|  Iseult  sighed  and  said  :  ^  ^^  Tristram,  give  me 
Husdent,  thy  dog.  Never  shall  a  hound  of  price 
be  held  in  greater  honour.  When  I  see  him  I 
shall  think  of  thee,  and  I  shall  be  less  sorrowful. 
Beloved,  I  have  a  ring  set  with  green  jasper,  take 
it  for  love  of  me  and  wear  it  on  thy  finger  ;  if  ever 
a  messenger  should  come  as  from  thee,  I  will  not 
credit  him  whatsoever  he  may  do  or  say,  unless 
he  shows  me  this  ring.  But  if  I  have  seen  it,  no 
force  nor  royal  decree  shall  hinder  me  from  obeying 
thy  behest,  be  it  wisdom  or  folly."'  ^  **  Beloved, 
I  give  thee  Husdent.''  ^  ^*  Beloved,  take  in  return 
this  ring."  ^  Then  they  kissed  each  other  on  the 
lips.  ^  Now  Ogrin,  leaving  the  lovers  in  the 
hermitage,  had  travelled  on  his  crutch  to  Saint 
Michael's  Mount,  and  there  he  bought  vair, 
squirrel  fur,  and  ermine,  silken  stuffs  of  purple  and 
scarlet,  a  shift  whiter  than  lilies,  and  a  palfrey 
caparisoned    with    gold,    which    ambled    gently. 

122 


THE  FORD  PERILOUS 

Folk  laughed  to  see  him  spend  the  coins  he  had 

laid  up  for  so  many  years  on  these  strange  and 

sumptuous  purchases  ;  but  the  old  man  loaded  the 

horse  with  the  rich  stuffs  and  returned  to  Iseult^ 

^  ^^  Queen,   your  garments  are   in   rags  ;    accept 

these  gifts,  that  you  may  be  more  beautiful  the  day 

you  go  to   the   Ford   Perilous  ;    I  fear  they  may 

mislifce  you  ;    I  have  little  skill  in  the  choice  of 

such    adornments/^       ^  Meanwhile,    the     King 

caused  it  to  be  proclaimed  throughout  Cornwall 

that  in  the  space  of  three   days  he  would   make 

peace    with    the    Queen    at    the     Ford    Perilous» 

Knights  and  ladies  came  in  crowds  to  the  assembly  ; 

all  desired  to  see  Iseult  the  Queen  again,  and  all 

loved  her,  save  the  three  felons  who  still   lived. 

^  But  of  these  three,  one  was  to  perish  by  the 

sword,  another  pierced  by  an  arrow,  and  the  third 

by  drowning  ;  as  to  the  forester,  Perinis  the  Frank, 

the  Fair^haired,  was  to  kill  him  with  his  cudgel  in 

the  forest.     Thus  God,  who  hates  all  excess,  was 

to  avenge  the  lovers  on  their  enemies.     ^  On  the 

day    appointed,    the    meadow    beyond    the    Ford 

Perilous  gleamed  from  afar,  resplendent  with  the 

rich  tents  of  the  barons.     In  the  forest,  Tristram 

rode  with  Iseult,  and  for   fear  of  an  ambush,  he 

had  donned  his  hauberk  beneath  his  rags.   Suddenly, 

they  emerged  from  the  forest,  and  saw  King  Mark 

in  the  distance  among  his  barons.     Ç|  *'  Beloved,'" 

123 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
said  Tristram,  ^^here  is  the  King  thy  lord,  with 
his  knights  and  vassals»  They  are  coming  towards 
us;  in  a  moment  we  shall  not  be  able  to  speak 
together  any  more»  By  the  mighty  and  glorious 
God  I  adjure  thee  :  if  ever  I  send  thee  a  message, 
do  as  I  bid  thee/^  ^  ^^  Tristram,  my  beloved,  as 
soon  as  I  shall  have  seen  the  jasper  ring  neither 
tower  nor  wall  nor  fortress  shall  hinder  me  from 
doing  thy  behest/'  ^  ^*  Iseult,  may  God  reward 
thee  1  '^  ^  Their  horses  were  pacing  side  by  side  ; 
he  drew  her  to  him  and  pressed  her  in  his  arms» 
^  ^*  Beloved,"'  said  Iseult,  *^  hear  my  last  prayer» 
Thou  art  about  to  quit  this  country  ;  wait  at  least 
a  few  days  ;  hide  thyself  until  thou  hearest  how  the 
King  uses  me,  whether  in  kindness  or  in  anger» 
I  am  alone  ;  who  will  protect  me  against  the  felons  ? 
I  am  afraid»  Orri  the  forester  will  give  thee  secret 
shelter  ;  creep  in  the  night  to  the  ruined  cell»  I  will 
send  Périnis  to  tell  thee  if  none  deal  harshly  with 
me»''  fj  ^^  Beloved,  none  would  dare»  I  will  stay 
in  hiding  with  Orri  ;  and  if  any  use  thee  despite^ 
fully,  let  him  fear  me  as  he  would  the  evil  one»" 
^  The  two  companies  had  now  drawn  close 
enough  together  to  exchange  greetings»  The 
King  rode  forward  boldly  a  bow's  shot  before  his 
followers,  with  Dinas  of  Lidan»  ^  When  the 
barons  had  rejoined  him,  Tristram,  leading  Iseult's 
palfrey  by  the  bridle,  saluted  the  King  and  said  : 
124 


THE  FORD  PERILOUS 
^  ''King,   I    bring  back  to  thee  Iseult  the  Fain 
Before  the  men  of  thy  kingdom,  I  demand  to  be 
allowed   to  defend  myself   in   thy   courts     I   have 
never  been  judged»      Cause  me  to  justify  myself  in 
battle»      If  I  am  vanquished,  burn  me  in  sulphur  ; 
if  I  conquer,  keep  me  with  thee  ;  or,  if  thou  wilt 
not  keep  me,  I  will  go  to  a  distant  land/^     ^  None 
accepted  Tristram^s  challenge»     Then  Mark,  in  his 
turn,  took  Iseult's  palfrey  by  the  bridle,  and  giving 
her  in  charge  to  Dinas,  went  aside  to  take  counsel» 
^  Then  Dinas,  full  of  joy,  did  the  Queen  homage 
and  courtesy»     He  took  off  her  cloak  of  rich  scarlet 
and  showed  her  graceful  body  in  the  close  tunic 
and  the  silken  overdress»     And  the  Queen  smiled, 
remembering  the  old  hermit  who  had  lavished  his 
hoard»     Her  robe  was  sumptuous,  her  eyes  grey, 
her  hair  lustrous  as  sunbeams»    €|  When  the  felons 
saw  her  beautiful  and  honoured  as  of  yore,  they 
were  full  of  wrath  and  they  rode  up  to  the  King» 
Just  at  this  moment  one  of  his  barons,  André  de 
Nicole,  was  striving  to  persuade  him  :     ^  '^  Sire,'' 
said  he,  '^keep  Tristram  with  thee;  and  because 
of  him,  thou  wilt  be  a  more  redoubtable  king»'' 
^  Thus  by  degrees,  he  softened  the  King's  heart. 
But  the   felons  came   up  and   said  :      ^    ^*  King, 
hearken  to  the  counsel  we  give  thee  in  all  loyalty. 
The  Queen  was  wrongfully  slandered,  we  confess  ; 
but   if  she  and  Tristram   return  together  to  the 

125 


ÔS: 


THE  FORD  PERILOUS 
hands»     ^  Meanwhile  when  night  fell,  Tristram,  . 

as  he  had  promised  the  Queen,  crept  to  the  forester      ^yC 
Orri,  who  gave  him  secret  shelter  in  the  ruined  cell. 
Ah  !  felons,  look  to  yourselves  I 


127 


^ 


EFORE  long  Denoa^ 
len,  Andret,  and  Gon^ 
dome  thought  them^ 
selves  safe  :  doubtless 
Tristram  was  drag^ 
ging  out  his  life 
beyond  the  seas,  in 
a  land  too  distant  to 
reach  them.  Hence 
one  day  in  the  chase, 
when  the  King,  lis-- 
tening  to  the  barking  of  his  pack,  had  reined  in 
his  horse  in  the  midst  of  a  clearing,  the  three  rode 
up  to  him  :  ^  ^^  King,  hearken  to  us.  Thou  didst 
condemn  the  Queen  without  trial,  and  this  was 
evil;  but  now  thou  hast  absolved  her  without 
trial,  and  is  not  this  also  evil  ?  Never  has  she 
justified  herself,  and  the  barons  of  thy  kingdom 
blame  you  both  therefor.  Counsel  her  that  she 
should  herself  demand  the  judgment  of  God.  If  she 
be  innocent,  why  should  she  fear  to  swear  on  the 
bones  of  the  saints  that  she  has  never  sinned  ?  or 
to  lay  hold  of  a  red^'hot  iron  ?  Thus  hath  custom 
ordained,  and  this  simple  ordeal  will  suffice  to  drive 
out  all  former  suspicions.^^  ^  But  Mark  answered 
wrathfuUy  :  ^  ^^  May  God  destroy  you,  lords  of 
Cornwall,  who  seek  continually  to  shame  me  I  I 
have  driven   away   my   nephew   for    you.     What 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

would  you  more  ?     That  I  should  drive  the  Queen 

away  to  Ireland  ?     What  new  cause  of  complaint 

have  you  ?     As  for   your  former  griefs,   did  not 

Tristram  offer  himself  to  defend  her  ?    He  presented 

himself  as  her  champion  before  you  all  ;  why  then 

did  you  not  take  lance  and  buckler  against  him  ? 

My  lords,  you  have  exceeded  your  rights»    Tremble, 

lest  I  recall  the  man  I  sent  away  at  your  desire/' 

^  Then  the  cowards  feared  greatly  ;  they  seemed 

to  see  Tristram  returning,  and  draining  the  blood 

from  their  bodies.     ^  ^^Sire,  we  give  you  loyal 

counsel  for  your  honour,  as  beseems  your  vassals  ; 

but   henceforth   we   will  be   silent.     Forget    your 

wrath,  and    leave    us    in    peace/'     CJ  But  Mark 

rose  in  his  stirrups  :   ^  *^  Begone  from  my  king^ 

dom,  felons  I     There  is  no  further  peace  between 

me    and    you.     For   you  I  drove  out    Tristram; 

begone,    in    your    turn  I  ''     ^  ^*  Be    it    so,   Sire  1 

Our  castles  are  strong,  well  fenced  with  piles,  on 

rocky  heights  hard  to  scale.''      ^  And  they  turned 

their  horses'  heads  without  saluting  him.     ^  Wait^ 

ing  neither  for  hounds  nor  huntsmen,  Mark  spurred 

his  horse  to  Tintagel,  and  mounted  the  stair  into 

the  great  hall.     The  Queen  heard  his  hasty  steps 

resounding  on  the  stone  flags.     ^  She  rose  and 

came  to  meet  him  as  was  her  wont,  took  his  sword 

from  him,  and  bowed  to  his  feet.      Mark  held  her 

by  the  hands  and  raised  her,  and  Iseult,  looking  up 
132 


THE  ORDEAL  BY  RED.HOT  IRON 

at  him,  saw  his  noble  features  distorted  by  anger  ; 

thus  had  he  appeared  to  her  of  yore  in  his  rage 

before  the  burning  pyre.     ^  *^  Ah  I  ^'  thought  she, 

^^  my   beloved   is  discovered,  the  King  has  taken 

him/'     ^  Her  heart  grew  cold  within  her  breast, 

and,  without  a  word,  she  fell  at  the  King's  feet. 

He  took  her  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her  tenderly  ; 

and  by  degrees  she  revived.     ^  ^^  Beloved,  beloved, 

what  ails  thee  ?  ''     ^  ^^  Sire,  I  am  afraid  ;  I  saw 

thou  wert  angry.''     ^  ^*Yes,  I  have  come  back 

from  the  hunt  in  great  wrath."     Çf  ''  Ah  I  Sire,  if 

your  huntsmen  have  vexed  you,  is  it  well  to  take 

such  contrarieties  of  the  chase  so  much  to  heart  ?  " 

Ç  Mark  smiled  at  these  words  :  ^  **  No,  beloved, 

my  huntsmen  have  not  vexed  me,  but  three  felons 

who    have  long  hated  us;    thou    knowest  them, 

Andret,  Denoalen,  and  Gondoïnc  j  I  have  banished 

them  from  my  kingdom."     C  *^  Sire,  what  evil  did 

they  dare  to  say  of  me  ?  "     ^  '*  What  matters  it  ? 

I  have  banished  them."     ^  ^*  Sire,  all  men  have 

a  right  to  say  what  they  think.     But  I  too  have 

a  right  to  know  of  what  I  am  accused.     And  from 

whom  should  I  learn  it,  if  not  from  you  ?     Alone 

in  this  strange  land,  I  have  no  one  but  you.  Sire,  to 

defend  me."     ^  ^^  Be  it  so  then.     They  declare 

that   it    beseems  thee  to    justify  thyself  by   oath 

and  by  the  ordeal  of  red-^hot  iron.     Should  not 

the  Queen   herself,  they  say,  demand  this  trial  ? 

133 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
The  ordeal  is  slight  to  one  who  is  conscious  of 
innocence.     What  would  it  cost  her  ?     God  is  the 
true  judge  ;  He  would  abolish  the  old  doubts  for 
ever*     But  enough  of  these  things*     I  have  banished 
them,  as  I  told   you/'     ^  Iseult   trembled;   she 
looked    at    the   King.      ^  ^^  Sire,  order    them    to 
return  to  thy  court.      I  will  justify  myself  by  oath.^' 
q  ''  When  ?  '^     q^'  On  the  tenth  day  from  this.'' 
^  ^'The  time  is  very  short,  beloved."     ^  'Mt  is 
all  too  long.      But  I  require  that  meantime  you 
request  King  Arthur  to  ride  with  his  lords  Gawain, 
Girflet,  Sir  Kay  the  seneschal,  and  one  hundred  of 
his  knights  to  the  marches  of  your  kingdom,  to  the 
White  Plain,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  that  divides 
your  territories.     I  will  make  my  vow  there  before 
them,  and  not  before  your  barons  only  ;  for  when 
I  shall  have  sworn,  your  barons  will  require  you 
to  impose  some  new  ordeal,  and  our  torments  will 
have  no  end.     But  they  will  not  dare,  if  Arthur 
and  his  knights  attest  the  judgment."    ^  While  the 
heralds.  King  Mark's  messengers,  were  hastening 
to    Carduel    to   King  Arthur,   Iseult   secretly  de- 
spatched her  servant  Perinis  the  Fair-haired,  the 
Faithful,  to  Tristram.      ^  Perinis  ran  through  the 
woods,  avoiding  the  beaten  paths,  till  he  reached 
the  hut  of  Orri  the  forester,  where  Tristram  had 
awaited  him  for  many  days  past*   Perinis  told  him 
of  the  things  that  had  happened,  of  the  new  malice, 
i34 


THE  ORDEAL  BY  RED.HOT  IRON 
the  date  of  the  ordeal,  the  appointed  hour  and 
place.  ^  ^^  Sir,  my  lady  requires  of  you  to  be  on  ^ 
the  White  Plain  on  the  appointed  day,  in  a  pilgrim's 
gown,  so  skilfully  disguised  that  none  may  recognise 
you,  and  unarmed.  To  reach  the  place  of  judgment, 
she  will  have  to  cross  the  river  in  a  boat  ;  you  are 
to  await  her  on  the  opposite  shore,  where  King 
Arthur's  knights  will  be  gathered.  Doubtless  you 
will  then  be  able  to  help  her.  My  lady  dreads  the 
day  of  the  ordeal  ;  nevertheless,  she  trusts  to  the 
courtesy  of  God,  who  saved  her  from  the  hands  of 
the  lepers/'  ^  ^^  Return  to  the  Queen,  fair  and 
gentle  friend  Perinis  ;  tell  her  I  will  obey  her." 
^  Now,  gentles,  as  Perinis  returned  towards  Tin^ 
tagel,  he  perceived  in  a  thicket  the  same  forester 
who  had  formerly  surprised  the  sleeping  lovers  and 
denounced  them  to  the  King.  One  day  when  he 
was  drunk  he  had  boasted  of  his  treachery.  This 
man  had  dug  a  deep  pit  in  the  earth,  which  he  had 
covered  skilfully  with  branches,  to  snare  wolves 
and  boars.  He  saw  the  Queen's  servant  bounding 
towards  him,  and  tried  to  fly.  But  Perinis  pressed 
him  back  to  the  edge  of  the  pit  :  ^  *^  Spy  who 
betrayed  the  Queen,  why  wouldst  thou  fly  ?  Stay 
here  by  the  grave  thou  hast  digged  for  thyself  I  " 
His  cudgel  hummed  in  the  air  as  he  whirled  it 
round.  Cudgel  and  skull  cracked  at  the  same 
moment,  and  Perinis  the  Fair^haired,  the  Faithful, 

135 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

spurned    the    corpse   with  his  foot    into    the  pit» 

^  On  the   day  appointed  for  the    ordeal,   Mark, 

Iseult,   and  the   barons  of  Cornwall  rode  to  the 

White  Plain,  and  came  in  splendid  array  to  the 

brink  of  the  river  ;    Arthur's  knights,  grouped  on 

the  opposite  bank,  saluted  them  with  their  brilliant 

banners»     ^  Before  them  on  the  bank  sat  a  poor 

pilgrim,  wrapped  in  his  mantle,  which  was  hung 

with  scallop  shells  ;  he  held  out  his  wooden  bowl 

and    craved    alms   in    sharp    complaining    tones» 

^  The  Cornish  boats  came  over,  rowed  by  oarsmen. 

When  they  drew  near  the   bank,    Iseult   said  to 

the  knights  about  her  :     ^  *^  My  lords,  how  shall 

I  reach  the  land  without   soiling  my  long  robes 

in  the  mud»     A  ferryman   must   come   and  help 

me»'"     ^  One  of  the  knights  hailed  the  pilgrim  : 

^  ^*  Friend,  gird  up  thy  mantle,  come  down  into 

the  water  and  carry  the  Queen,  if  indeed,  broken 

as  thou  art,  thou  dost  not  fear  to  fall  by  the  way»" 

^  ^^  The  man  took  the  Queen  in  his  arms»     She 

whispered  in  his  ear  :  ^^  Beloved  I  ''  and  then,  more 

softly  still  :  ''  Fall  upon  the  sand»''     ^  When  he 

reached  the  bank,  he  stumbled  and  fell,  holding  the 

Queen  closely  in  his  arms»     Then  the  squires  and 

mariners,  seizing  oars  and  boat-hooks,  pursued  the 

poor  wretch»     ^  ^*  Leave  him  in  peace,"  said  the 

Queen;     ^*no    doubt    his    long    pilgrimage    has 

weakened   him»"      ^  And  unfastening   a   golden 
136 


THE  ORDEAL  BY  RED-HOT  IRON 
clasp,  she  threw  it  to  the  pilgrim»  ^  In  front  of 
King  Arthur's  tent,  a  rich  cloth  of  Nic^an  silk 
was  spread  on  the  green  grass,  and  the  relics  of  the 
saints,  taken  from  numerous  caskets  and  shrines, 
were  already  laid  out  upon  it*  Gawain,  Girflet,  and 
Kay  the  seneschal,  kept  guard  over  them*  ^  Then 
the  Queen,  having  prayed  to  God,  took  off  the 
jewels  from  her  neck  and  hands  and  gave  them  to 
poor  beggars  ;  she  unfastened  her  purple  mantle, 
and  her  fine  guimpe,  and  gave  them  too,  and  like^ 
wise  her  robe  and  her  girdle,  and  her  jewelled 
shoes»  She  kept  only  a  sleeveless  tunic  on  her 
body,  and  with  bare  arms  and  feet,  she  advanced 
before  the  two  Kings.  The  barons  around  gazed 
at  her  in  silence,  and  wept*  Near  the  relics  a 
brazier  was  burning*  Trembling,  she  stretched  out 
her  right  hand  to  the  relics  and  said  :  ^  **  King  of 
Logres  and  King  of  Cornwall,  Sir  Gawain,  Sir 
Kay,  Sir  Girflet,  and  all  you  who  are  to  be  my 
sureties,  by  these  holy  bodies  and  by  all  the  holy 
bodies  in  the  world,  I  swear  that  no  man  born  of 
woman  hath  held  me  in  his  arms  save  King  Mark,  k 
my  lord,  and  the  poor  pilgrim  whom  you  saw  fall 
down  on  the  shore*  King  Mark,  is  this  oath  suffix 
cient  ?  ^  ^^  Yes,  Queen,  and  may  God  make  his 
judgment  manifest*^'  ^  ^^  Amen,'"  answered  Iseult»  ^ 
^  She  approached  the  brazier,  pale  and  trembling* 
All   were  silent;    the  iron  was    red.     Then    she 

137 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
plunged  her  bare  arms  into  the  red  coals,  seized  the 
bar  of  iron,  walked  nine  paces  carrying  it,  then, 
dropping  it,  stretched  out  her  arms  on  either  side, 
the  palms  open*  And  every  one  saw  that  the 
flesh  was  as  whole  as  the  plums  on  a  plum-'tree» 
^Then  a  great  cry  of  praise  to  God  rose  from 
every  throat. 


i38 


She  stretched  out  her  arms  on  either  side,  the  palms  open. 

Page  138 


8£I  3SÊq 


XIII.  THE  NIGHTINGALE'S  SONG 


Tristan  defors  e  chante  e  gient 
Cum  russinol  que  prent  conge 
De  fin  d'esté  od  grand  pite 

LE  DOMNEI  DES  AMANZ 


N  his  return  to 
the  forester's  hut, 
Tristram  had  thrown 
down  his  staff  and 
doffed  his  pilgrim's 
weeds»  He  knew  in 
his  heart  that  the  day 
had  come  to  keep 
faith  with  King 
Mark,  and  to   leave 

the  land  of  Cornwall. 

^  Why  did  he  still  linger  ?  The  Queen  was 
justified,  the  King  cherished  and  honoured  her. 
Arthur  would  protect  her  at  need,  and  henceforth 
no  felony  would  prevail  against  her.  Why  then 
should  he  continue  to  hover  round  Tintagel  ?  He 
was  risking  his  life  vainly,  and  the  life  of  the  forester, 
and  Iseult's  peace.  Certes,  it  was  time  to  go,  and  he 
had  held  the  fair  body  of  Iseult  in  his  arms  for  the  last 
time  under  his  pilgrim's  gown  on  the  White  Plain. 
^  Three  days  later,  he  was  still  lingering,  unable 
to  quit  the  land  where  the  Queen  was  living. 
But  when  the  fourth  day  came,  he  took  leave  of 
the  forester  who  had  given  him  shelter,  and  sai4  to 
Gorvenal  :  ^  ^^  Dear  master,  now  is  the  hour  of 
a  long  farewell  ;  we  will  go  into  the  land  of  Wales." 
^  They  set  out  sadly,  in  the  night.  But  their 
road   skirted  the  fenced   orchard  where  Tristram 

141 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
had  waited  of  yore  for  his  beloved»  The  night 
was  clear  and  brilliant»  At  a  turn  of  the  road  he 
saw  the  sturdy  trunk  of  the  great  pine-^tree  rising 
against  the  clear  sky  not  far  from  the  fence* 
^  ^^  Dear  master,  wait  for  me  in  the  wood  hard  by; 
I  will  be  back  presently/'  ^  '*  Where  goest  thou  ? 
Madman,  wilt  thou  never  cease  to  court  death  ?  '' 
^  But  Tristram  had  already  cleared  the  fence  at  a 
bound»  He  came  to  the  great  pine-'tree,  near  the 
marble  balustrade»  What  would  it  avail  him  now 
to  throw  well-fashioned  chips  into  the  fountain  ? 
Iseult  would  come  no  more  I  With  soft  and  supple 
footsteps  he  ventured  to  approach  the  castle  by  the 
path  the  Queen  had  traversed  in  former  days» 
^  In  her  chamber  Iseult  lay  awake  in  the  arms  of 
the  sleeping  King»  Suddenly,  through  the  open 
casement  where  the  moonbeams  played  came  the 
voice  of  a  nightingale»  ^  Iseult  listened  to  the 
melodious  sounds  that  came  to  add  enchantment 
to  the  night  ;  she  rose  sadly,  so  sadly  that  she 
would  have  touched  the  cruellest,  the  most  murder^ 
eus  heart»  The  Queen  thought  :  ^*  Whence  comes 
this  melody  ?  '^  Suddenly  she  understood  :  ^^  Ah  1 
it  is  Tristram»  Thus  was  he  wont  to  charm  me  in 
the  forest  of  Morois  by  imitating  song-birds»  He 
is  going  and  this  is  his  last  farewell»  How  he 
laments  I  Like  to  the  nightingale  when  he  takes 
his  leave  at  the  close  of  summer,  in  great  sadness» 

t42 


Under  the  trees  he  pressed  her  to  his  heart  without 

a  word. 

Page  143 


\isos\^Vjr   Viii:^i\   ass\  o^  "^siv  V>;i5i&3*\«\  -ùù 


e^i 


im 


'^ÊJÊ 


THE  NIGHTINGALE'S  SONG 
Beloved^  never  shall  I  listen  to  thy  voice  again/' 
^  The  melody  thrilled  yet  more  ardently  through 
the  night*  ^  ''  Ah  I  what  wouldst  thou  ?  That 
I  should  come  to  thee  ?  No,  remember  Ogrin  the 
hermit,  and  the  vows  we  made»  Cease,  death  lies 
in  wait  for  xss.  What  do  I  reck  of  death  !  Thou 
callest  me,  I  come,  I  come  T^  ^  She  disengaged 
herself  from  the  King's  arms  and  threw  a  mantle 
lined  with  squirrel  upon  her  almost  naked  body» 
She  had  to  cross  the  neighbouring  hall,  where  ten 
knights  kept  watch  by  turns  ;  the  while  five  of 
them  slept,  five  others  stood  armed  by  doors  and 
casements»  But  it  chanced  that  they  were  all 
asleep,  five  upon  beds  and  five  upon  the  floor. 
Iseult  stepped  over  the  scattered  bodies,  and  lifted 
the  bar  of  the  door  ;  the  ring  clanked,  but  none  of 
the  sleepers  wakened»  She  crossed  the  threshold 
and  the  song  ceased»  ^  Under  the  trees  he  pressed 
her  to  his  heart  without  a  word  ;  their  arms  wound 
closely  about  each  other's  bodies,  they  clasped  each 
other  as  if  they  had  been  bound  together  by  cords 
until  daybreak»  In  spite  of  King  and  guards,  the 
lovers  taste  of  joy  and  love»  Çf  This  night  had 
bewitched  the  lovers  ;  and  in  the  days  that  followed^ 
as  the  King  had  left  Tintagel  to  hold  his  court  of 
judgment  at  Saint  Lubin,  Tristram,  who  had 
returned  to  Orri's  hut,  ventured  every  morning,  in 
broad  daylight,  to  creep  through  the  orchard  to  the 

M3 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
women's  chambers.      ^  A  serf  surprised  him,  and 
went  in  search  of  Andret,  Denoalen,  and  Gondoine. 
^  *^  My  lords,  the  beast   you   thought   you  had 
dislodged  has  come  bacfc  to  his  lair/'  ^  ''Who?'' 
«I  ''  Tristram/'     Q  ''  When  didst  thou  see  him  ?" 
^  ''  This  morning,  I  marked  him  well.     And  to^ 
morrow  morning  you  too  may  see  him  come  at 
dawn,  his  sword  girt  round  him,  a  bow  in  one 
hand,  two  arrows  in  the  other.     ^  ^*  Where  shall 
we  see  him  ?"     ^  ''  By  a  certain  window  which  I 
know.     But  if  I  show  it  to  you  what  will  you  give 
me  ?  "     ^  ^*  A  gold  mark  and  you  will  be  a  rich 
churl."      5  ''Then  listen,"  said  the  serf.      "One 
can  see  into  the   Queen's   chamber  by  a  narrow 
window  which  commands  it,  for  it  is  pierced  very 
high  in  the  wall.      But  a  great  curtain  hung  across 
the  room  masks  the  opening.  To-morrow  morning 
let  one  of  you  come  boldly  into  the  orchard,  cut  a 
long  thorn  shoot  and  sharpen  the  end;   let  him 
then  climb  up  to  the  window,  and  thrust  the  shoot 
like  a  spit  into  the   stuff  of  the  curtain;  he  will 
then  be  able  to  draw  it  a  little  aside,  and  you  shall 
give  my  body  to  be  burnt,  my  lords,  if  you  do  not 
sec  what   I  have  told   you  behind   the   curtain." 
^  Andret,  Gondome,  and  Denoalen  debated  which 
among  them  should  first  enjoy  this  spectacle,  and 
finally  they  agreed  to  yield  it  to  Gondome.     They 
parted,  to  meet  again  the  next  morning  at  dawn. 
144 


THE  NIGHTINGALE'S  SONG 

To-morrow  at   dawn,  fair  gentlemen,   beware   of 

Tristram  I     ^  The  next  day,  when  the  night  was 

still  dark,  Tristram,  leaving  the  hut  of   Orri  the 

forester,  crept  towards  the  castle  under  the  dense 

thicket  of  thorn.     As  he  came  out  of  a  coppice,  he 

looked    through    a    clearing,    and    saw    Gondoïne 

coming  from   his   manor.       Tristram   drew   back 

into  the  thorns  and  crouched  in  ambush.    ^  ^*  Ahl 

God  grant  that  he  who  comes  may  not  see  me 

before  the  right  moment  f      ^  He  waited,  sword 

in  hand;  but  it  chanced  that  Gondoïne  took  another 

road,  and  went  away.     Tristram  came  out  of  the 

thicket,  bent  his  bow  and  took  aim.     Alas  I  the 

man  was  already  out  of  range.     ^  At  this  moment 

Denoalen,    followed   by   two   large   hounds,   came 

ambling  gently  along   the  path  on   a  little  black 

palfrey.     Tristram  watched  him,  hidden  behind  an 

apple-tree.      He  saw  him  urging  on  his  dogs  to 

dislodge  a  wild  boar  in  a  copse.     But  before  the 

hounds  could  turn  him  out  of  his  den,  their  master 

had  received  a  wound  that  no  leech  could  stanch. 

When  Denoalen  was  close  to  him,  Tristram  threw 

off  his  cloak,  sprang  forth,  and  stood  before  his 

enemy.     The  traitor  sought  to  flee,  but  in  vain  ;  he 

had  not  even  time  to  cry  :  *^  I  am  wounded  I  '"    He  fell 

from  his  horse,  Tristram  cut  off  his  head,  severed 

the  locks  that  hung  round  the  face,  and  thrust  them 

into  his  hose  ;  he  wished  to  show  them  to  Iseult  to 

K  i45 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
rejoice  the  heart  of  his  beloved*  Alas,  he  thought, 
what  has  become  of  Gondoïne  ?  He  has  escaped  ! 
Would  I  had  been  able  to  pay  him  in  the  same 
coin!  ^  He  wiped  his  sword,  put  it  back  into  the 
sheath,  dragged  the  trunk  of  a  tree  over  the  body, 
and  went  his  way  to  his  beloved,  his  head  shrouded 
in  his  hood.  ^  Gondoïne  had  arrived  before  him 
at  the  castle  of  Tintagel  ;  he  had  already  climbed 
up  to  the  high  window,  thrust  his  thorn  stick  into 
the  curtain  and  drawn  aside  two  widths  of  the  stuff; 
he  looked  into  the  freshly  strown  chamber.  At  first 
he  could  see  no  one  but  Perinis  ;  then  he  perceived 
Bragwaine,  still  holding  in  her  hand  the  comb  with 
which  she  had  just  combed  Iseult's  golden  hair. 
^  But  presently  Iseult  entered  and  then  Tristram. 
In  one  hand  he  still  carried  his  bow  and  two  arrows, 
in  the  other  two  long  locks  of  hair.  ^  He 
dropped  his  cloak  and  his  fair  body  appeared. 
Iseult  the  Fair  bowed  herself  to  greet  him,  and  as 
she  rose,  lifting  her  head  towards  him,  she  saw 
the  shadow  of  Gondoïne 's  head  on  the  hanging. 
Tristram  said  to  her  :  C[f  ^^  Seest  thou  these  fine 
tresses  ?  They  are  Denoalen^s.  I  have  avenged 
thee  on  him.  Never  again  will  he  buy  or  sell 
shield  or  lance.''  ^  ^'  It  is  well,  my  lord  ;  but 
bend  this  bow,  I  pray  you  ;  I  wish  to  see  if  it  is 
easy  to  draw.''  ^  So  Tristram  bent  the  bow, 
surprised  and  scarcely  understanding.  Then  Iseult 
146 


THE  NIGHTINGALE'S  SONG 
took  one  of  the  two  arrows,  strung  it,  looked  to 
make  sure  that  the  cord  was  stout,  and  said  low 
and  swift:  ^  ^^l  see  something  that  displeases 
me.  Aim  well,  Tristram/'  ^  He  stood  ready, 
raised  his  head,  and  high  up  on  the  curtain  he  saw 
the  shadow  of  Gondoïne.  *^  May  God,''  said  he, 
**  guide  my  shaft  !  "  Then  he  turned  to  the  wall  and 
shot.  The  long  arrow  whistled  through  the  air 
swifter  than  merlin  or  swallow,  pierced  the  traitor's 
eye,  passed  through  his  brain  as  through  the  flesh 
of  an  apple,  and  stopped  quivering  against  the 
skulL  Without  a  cry,  Gondoïne  dropped  and  fell 
on  a  stake.  ^  Then  said  Iseult  to  Tristram  : 
^  ^^Fly  now,  beloved.  Thou  seest,  the  felons 
know  thy  refuge.  Andret  still  lives,  he  will  report 
it  to  the  King;  thou  art  no  longer  safe  in  the 
forester's  hut.  Fly,  beloved,  Perinis  the  Faithful 
shall  hide  this  body  in  the  forest  so  well  that  the 
King  shall  never  hear  any  tidings  of  it.  But  flee 
from  this  country  for  thy  safety  and  for  mine  I  " 
€  Tristram  said  :  *^  How  can  I  live  without  thee  ?  " 
^  ^^  Yes,  beloved,  our  lives  are  bound  and  woven 
together.  I,  too,  how  can  I  live  without  thee  ? 
My  body  remains  here,  my  heart  goes  with  thee." 
^  ^^  Iseult,  beloved,  I  go,  I  know  not  to  what 
country.  But  if  ever  thou  seest  again  the  green 
jasper  ring,  wilt  thou  do  my  behest  ?"  IJ  ^^  Yes, 
thou  knowest  I  will  ;  when  I  see  again  the  green 

U7 

t • 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
jasper  ring,  no  tower,  no  fortress,  no  royal  com^ 
mand  will  prevent  me  from  doing  my  beloved's 
will,  be  it  wisdom  or  folly/'  ^  ^^  Beloved,  may 
the  God  born  at  Bethlehem  bless  thee  for  these 
words/'     ^  ''  Beloved,  God  keep  thee/' 


148 


XIV.  THE  MAGIC  BELL 


Ne  membre  vus,  ma  belle  âmi 
D 'une  petite  druetie  ? 

LA  FOLIE  TRISTAN 


h 

M 

RISTRAM  took 
refuge  in  Wales,  on 
the  domain  of  the 
noble  Duke  Gîlain. 
The  Duke  was  young, 
puissant,  and  debo^ 
nair  ;  he  received  him 
as  a  welcome  guest; 
sparing  no  pains  to 
do  him  honour  and 
give  him  joy  ;  but 
neither  adventures  nor  festivals  could  appease  Tris^ 
tramps  anguish^  ^  One  day,  when  he  was  sitting 
by  the  young  Duke,  his  heart  was  so  full  of  grief 
that  he  sighed  unconsciously»  Then  the  Duke, 
to  ease  his  pain,  ordered  his  favourite  pastime 
to  be  brought  to  his  private  chamber,  one  which 
charmed  his  eyes  and  his  heart  by  magic  power 
in  hours  of  sadness»  On  a  table,  covered  with 
a  rich  cloth  of  purple,  his  servants  placed  his 
dog  Petit-'Cru»  It  was  an  enchanted  dog;  it 
came  from  the  Isle  of  Avalon  ;  a  fairy  had  sent 
it  to  him  as  a  love^token»  No  words  could 
suffice  to  describe  its  nature  and  its  beauty»  Its 
hair  was  tinted  with  shades  so  marvellously  dis^ 
posed  that  it  was  not  possible  to  say  of  what 
colour  it  was  ;  at  first  its  neck  seemed  whiter  than 
snow,   its  croup   greener  than  clover,   one  of   its 

i5i 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT  ^ 

sides  red  as  scarlet,  the  other  yellow  as  saffron,  its 
belly  blue  as  lapis  lazuli,  its  back  rose-coloured* 
But  when  one  looked  longer  all  these  colours 
danced  before  the  eyes  and  shifted,  showing  in 
turn  white,  green,  yellow,  blue,  purple,  dark  and 
light»  From  a  slender  gold  chain  about  his  neck 
^   hung  a  tiny  gold  bell,  which  tinkled  with  so  gay, 

-^  clear,  and  sweet  a  sound  that,  as  he  heard  it,  TriS" 
tram's  heart  was  soothed,  and  his  pain  melted 
away»  He  remembered  no  more  all  the  miseries 
he  had  suffered  for  the  Queen's  sake  ;  for  this  was 
the  magic  virtue  of  the  little  bell  :  the  heart  forgot 
all  its  griefs  when  it  rang  so  gaily,  clearly  and 
sweetly»  Now  while  Tristram,  moved  by  the 
spell,  caressed  the  little  enchanted  animal  which 
took  away  his  grief,  and  whose  coat  felt  softer  than 
samite  to  the  touch,  he  bethought  him  that  it 
would  be  a  fair  present  for  Iseult»  But  what  could 
he  do  ?  Duke  Gilain  prized  Petit^-Crû  above  all 
things,  and  none  could  have  obtained  the  animal 
from  him  either  by  entreaties  or  cunning»  ^  One 
day  Tristram  said  to  the   Duke  :      ^  ^^  Sir,  what 

— -/.   would  you  give  to  one  who  should   deliver  your 

'      land  from  the  giant  Urgan  the  Hairy,  who  extorts 

heavy  tributes  from  you  ?  ''    ^  ^*  Truly,  I  would  let 

the  victor  choose   among    my  treasures  what  he 

should   hold   most  precious  ;    but    no   one   would 

venture  to  attack  the  giant»''    ^  **  These  are  mar^ 
152 


THE  MAGIC  BELL 
vellous  words/^  said  Tristram»  ^^  But  good  never 
comes  to  a  country  save  by  adventures,  and  I  would 
not  renounce  my  hope  of  fighting  the  giant  for  all 
the  gold  of  Milan/^  ^  ''  Then/^  said  Duke  Gilain, 
**  may  the  God  born  of  a  Virgin  be  with  you  and 
save  you  from  death/'  ^  Tristram  found  Urgan 
the  Hairy  in  his  den»  They  fought  long  and 
furiously»  Finally,  valour  triumphed  over  strength, 
the  nimble  sword  over  the  heavy  club,  and  Tris^ 
tram,  having  cut  off  the  giant's  right  hand,  brought 
it  to  the  Duke,  saying  :  ^  *^  Sir,  give  me  your 
enchanted  dog,  Petit-Crû,  as  a  reward  according 
to  your  promise»''  C|  ^^  Friend,  what  dost  thou  ask  ? 
Leave  him  to  me,  and  take  rather  my  sister  and 
the  half  of  my  domain»"  ^  ^^  Sir,  your  sister  is 
fair,  and  fair  are  your  lands;  but  it  was  to  win 
your  fairy  dog  that  I  fought  Urgan  the  Hairy» 
Remember  your  promise  I  "  ^^  *  Take  him, 
then  ;  but  know  that  thou  hast  robbed  me 
of  the  joy  of  my  eyes  and  the  gaiety  of  my 
heart."  ^  Tristram  entrusted  the  dog  to  a 
Welsh  minstrel,  a  prudent  and  cunning  man,  who 
took  it  to  Cornwall  from  him»  He  came  to 
Tintagel,  and  gave  it  secretly  to  Bragwaine»  The 
Queen  delighted  greatly  in  it  ;  she  gave  the 
minstrel  ten  gold  marks  in  recompense,  and  told 
the  King  that  her  mother,  the  Queen  of  Ireland, 
had  sent  her  this  precious  present»     She  caused  a 

^53 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
goldsmith  to  make  a  kennel  incrusted  with  gold 
and  precious  stones  for  the  dog,  and  everywhere 
she  went  she  carried  it  with  her  in  memory  of  her 
lover»  And  every  time  she  looked  at  it,  sorrow, 
anguish,  and  regret  faded  from  her  heart  ♦  ^  At 
first  she  did  not  understand  the  marvel  ;  when  she 
found  it  so  sweet  to  gaze  at  the  little  animal,  she 
thought  it  was  because  it  came  from  Tristram  ;  it 
was,  no  doubt,  the  thought  of  her  lover  that  soothed 
her  pain  thus»  But  one  day  she  understood  that 
it  was  an  enchantment,  and  that  it  was  the  tinkling 
of  the  little  bell  that  charmed  her  heart»  ^  ''Ah  I  '' 
she  thought,  ''  is  it  well  that  I  should  take  comfort 
while  Tristram  is  wretched  ?  He  might  have  kept 
this  enchanted  dog  and  so  have  forgotten  all  his 
grief»  Of  his  courtesy  he  chose  rather  to  send  it 
to  me,  to  give  me  his  joy  and  take  back  his  misery. 
But  it  is  not  well  that  it  should  be  so»  Tristram^ 
beloved,  I  will  suffer  as  long  as  thou  sufferest»'' 
^  She  took  the  magic  bell,  rang  it  for  the  last 
time,  untied  it  gently,  then  threw  it  into  the  sea 
from  the  open  window» 


154 


She  took  the  magic  bell,  rang  it  for  the  last  time, 

then  threw  it  into  the  sea. 

Page  154 


I 


■iîvâ^  ,  k.nl   ss^V  '\6\ 


XV.  ISEULT  OF  THE  WHITE  HAND 


Ire  de  femme  est  a,  dater 
Moi  s'en  deit  bien  chascans  garder 
Cum  de  léger  vient  leur  amar 
De  léger  revient  lur  haur 

THOMAS  THE  RHYMER 


.  -^^^^ 

^^^ 

^r^^I^Sj^jjy] 

^^^ 

J^^^^ 

^^^ 

^fcWZ^HcS ^('^LM  f 

LÏ^HrMra 

f^«Il     lIB^gBM^ 

r^  fiSffllib 

^M^^^n^T        jSj 

pm 

1^^ 

^ 

IFE  and  death  were 
alike  hateful  to  the 
lovers  apart*  Sépara-* 
tion  was  neither  life 
nor  death,  but  life 
and  death  at  once» 
fJjTristram  essayed  to 
flee  from  his  misery^ 
journeying  over  seas^ 
islands,  and  countries» 
He  returned  to  his 
land  of  Lyonnesse,  where  Rohalt  the  Faith^keeper 
received  his  son  with  tears  of  tenderness  ;  but 
Tristram  could  not  endure  life  in  his  peaceful  realm, 
and  he  wandered  through  duchies  and  kingdoms  in 
search  of  adventures.  From  Lyonnesse  to  Frisia, 
from  Frisia  to  Galvoie,  from  Germany  to  Spain,  he 
served  many  lords  and  carried  out  many  enters 
prises.  But  for  two  years  no  news  came  to  him 
from  Cornwall,  no  friend,  no  message.  ^  Then 
he  thought  that  Iseult  loved  him  no  longer,  and 
that  she  had  forgotten  him.  ^  Now  it  happened 
one  day  as  he  was  riding  with  Sir  Gorvenal, 
that  he  entered  the  land  of  Brittany»  They 
crossed  a  desolate  plain  ;  on  every  side  were  ruined 
walls,  villages  without  inhabitants,  fields  ravaged 
by  fire  ;  their  horses  trod  on  coals  and  cinders. 
On  this  deserted  plain  Tristram  thought  :     ^  ^^  I 

i57 


:^ 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
am  weary  and  exhausted.  What  do  all  these  adven-* 
tures  avail  me  ?  My  lady  is  far  from  me,  never 
shall  I  see  her  more.  For  two  whole  years  she  has 
not  sent  in  search  of  me.  I  have  had  no  word 
from  her.  At  Tintagel  the  King  serves  and 
honours  her  ;  she  lives  joyfully.  Certes,  the  dog/s 
enchanted  bell  has  done  its  work  I  She  has  for-* 
gotten  me,  and  little  does  she  reck  of  the  joys  and 
griefs  of  yore,  little  does  she  reck  of  the  wretch  who 
wanders  in  this  desolate  land.  Should  I  not  in 
my  turn  forget  her  who  has  forgotten  me  ?  Shall  I 
never  find  one  to  heal  my  woe  ?  '^  ^  For  two  days 
Tristram  and  Gorvenal  passed  through  fields  and 
villages  without  seeing  a  man,  a  cock,  or  a  dog. 
On  the  third  day  at  none,  they  approached  a  hill 
on  which  was  an  old  chapel,  and  hard  by,  a  hermit's 
cell.  The  hermit  was  clad,  not  in  a  woven  garment, 
but  in  a  goatskin,  with  woollen  rags  upon  his  back. 
Prostrate  upon  the  ground,  his  knees  and  elbows 
bare,  he  implored  Mary  Magdalen  to  inspire  him 
with  salutary  prayers.  He  bade  the  travellers 
welcome,  and  while  Gorvenal  stalled  the  horses,  he 
disarmed  Tristram  and  then  brought  forth  food. 
He  offered  them  no  delicate  meats,  but  barley  bread 
kneaded  with  cinders  and  spring  water.  After  the 
meal,  as  night  was  falling  and  they  sat  round  the 
fire,  Tristram  asked  what  this  ruined  country  was. 
^  ''  Fair  sir,''  replied  the  hermit,  ''  it  is  the  land 
158 


ISEULT  OF  THE  WHITE  HAND 
of  Brittany,  held  by  Duke  HoeL  It  was  once  a 
fair  land,  rich  in  meadows  and*  ploughed  fields, 
mills,  apple-trees,  and  farms*  But  Count  Riol  of 
Nantes  has  laid  it  waste;  his  foragers  have  set 
fire  to  it  on  every  side  and  carried  off  spoiL  His 
men  have  been  enriched  for  many  a  long  day  ;  such 
is  the  fortune  of  war/^  ^  ^^Brother,""  said  Tris- 
tram, ^^  why  did  Count  Riol  thus  shame  your  lord, 
Hoël  ?  ''  (^''l  will  tell  you,  sir,  the  cause  of  the 
war.  You  must  know  that  Riol  is  Duke  HoeFs 
vassaL  Now  the  Duke  has  a  daughter,  fairest 
among  kings^  daughters,  and  Count  Riol  wished 
to  take  her  to  wife.  But  her  father  refused  to  give 
her  to  a  vassal,  and  Count  Riol  tried  to  carry  her 
off  by  force.  Many  have  perished  in  this  quarrel.'^ 
^  Then  Tristram  asked  :  ^  ^^  Can  Duke  Hoel 
still  carry  on  the  war  ?  ^^  ^  *^  Scarcely,  my  lord. 
Nevertheless,  his  last  fortress,  Carhaix,  still  holds 
out,  for  the  walls  are  stout,  and  stout  too  is  the 
heart  of  Duke  Hoel's  son,  Kaherdin,  the  good 
knight.  But  the  enemy  presses  them  close,  and 
"^  starves  them  ;  they  can  hardly  hold  out  much 
longer.^^  ^  Tristram  asked  how  far  it  was  to  the 
^  castle  of  Carhaix.  f]|  ^^  Sir,  but  two  miles.^^ 
^  Then  they  separated  and  slept.  In  the  morning, 
after  the  hermit  had  sung  matins  and  shared  his 
barley  bread  with  them,  Tristram  took  leave  of  the 

holy  man  and  rode  towards  Carhaix.       ^  When 

159 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
they  stopped  at  the  foot  of  the  walls,  they  saw  a 
band  of  men  standing  on  the  covered  way  and  they 
asked  for  the  Duke.  Hoel  was  among  these  men 
with  his  son  Kaherdin»  He  made  himself  known, 
and  Tristram  said  :  ^  ^^l  am  Tristram,  King  of 
Lyonnesse,  and  Mark,  King  of  Cornwall,  is  my 
uncle»  I  have  learnt,  my  lord,  that  your  vassals 
are  doing  you  wrong,  and  I  have  come  to  offer  you 
my  service/'  ^  ^^  Alas  I  Sir  Tristram,  go  your 
way  and  may  God  reward  you»  How  can  we 
receive  you  here  ?  We  have  no  more  victuals,  no 
corn,  nothing  but  beans  and  barley  to  live  on/' 
^  ^^What  matter?''  said  Tristram»  ''I  have 
lived  in  a  forest  for  two  years,  on  herbs  and  roots 
and  venison,  and  know  that  this  life  pleased  me 
well.  Order  your  men  to  open  the  gate  for  me»" 
i^  Then  said  Kaherdin  :  ^  ''  Receive  him,  my 
father,  since  he  hath  such  courage,  and  let  him 
share  our  good  and  evil»"  ^  They  received  him 
with  great  honour»  Kaherdin  showed  his  guest 
the  stout  walls  and  the  main  tower,  well  flanked 
with  grated  loopholes  where  the  cross^bowmen 
stood  in  ambush»  From  the  battlements  he  showed 
him  in  the  plain  at  a  distance  the  tents  and 
banners  set  up  by  Count  Riol»  When  they  re-- 
turned  to  the  threshold  of  the  castle,  Kaherdin  said 
to  Tristram  :  ^  ^^Now,  fair  friend,  we  will  go  up 
to  the  chamber  where  are  my  mother  and  my  sister»"^ 
160 


K| 


ISEULT  OF  THE  WHITE  HAND 

^  Hand  in  hand  they  entered  the  women's  chamber. 

The  mother  and  daughter,  seated  on  a  counterpane, 

sewed  gold  ornaments  on  a  pall  of  English  work 

and  sang  a  needle^song  :  they  sang  how  the  Fair 

Doette,  seated  in  the  wind  under  a  hawthorn^tree, 

waited  and  lamented  for  her  beloved,  Doon,  so  long 

in  coming.    Tristram  saluted  them  and  they  saluted 

him,  then  the  two  knights  sat  beside  them,  and 

Kaherdin,  showing  the  stole  his  mother  embroidered, 

said  :      ^  ^^  See,  fair  friend,  what  a  needlewoman 

is  my  lady  ;    how  rarely  she  decorates  stoles  and 

chasubles  to  give  to  poor  churches  !  and  how  my 

sister's  hands  run  the  gold  threads  over  this  white 

samite.     By  my  troth,  fair  sister,  thou  art  rightly 

named    Iseult    of    the    White    Hand.''       Ç|  Then 

Tristram,  hearing  she  was  called  Iseult,  smiled  and 

looked  more  tenderly  at  her.     ^  Now  Count  Riol 

had  set  up  his  camp  three  miles  from  Carhaix,  and 

for  many  days  Duke  Hoël's  men  had  not  dared  to 

sally  forth  against  them.       But,  on  the  morrow, 

Tristram,    Kaherdin    and    twelve    young    knights 

went  out  from  Carhaix,   their  hauberks  on  their 

backs,  their    helmets    laced,   and   rode  under   the 

pine^woods  to  the  confines  of  their  enemy's  camp  ; 

then,  breaking  out  of  the  covert,  they  carried  off  a 

waggon  of  Count  Riol's.      From  this  day  forth, 

relying  in  turn  on  valour  and  cunning,  they  over^ 

turned  his  ill^guarded  tents,  attacked  his  convoys, 

L  i6i 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
harassed  and  killed  his  men,  and  never  did  they 
return  to  Carhaix  without  some  spoiL  Hereupon, 
Tristram  and  Kaherdin  began  to  bear  faith  and 
affection  one  to  another,  so  that  they  swore  friend^ 
ship  and  brotherhood  together*  Never  did  they 
break  their  bond,  as  this  story  will  show  you* 
f|  Now  when  they  rode  back  from  sallies,  con- 
I  versing  of  chivalry  and  courtesy,  often  would 
Kaherdin  praise  to  his  dear  comrade  his  sister 
Iseult  of  the  White  Hand,  Iseult  the  fair,  the 
simple*  ^  One  morning,  at  daybreak,  a  watch- 
man  came  down  in  haste  from  his  tower,  and  ran 
through  the  halls,  crying:  ^  ^^My  lords,  you 
have  slept  too  long*  Rise,  Riol  advances  to  the 
assault*''  ^  Knights  and  citizens  armed  and  ran 
to  the  walls  ;  in  the  plain  they  saw  helmets  gleam- 
ing, pennons  of  cendal  fluttering,  and  all  Riol's 
host  advancing  in  fair  array*  Duke  Hoel  and 
Kaherdin  at  once  deployed  their  first  company  of 
knights  before  the  gates*  When  they  came  within 
bowshot  length  of  each  other,  they  spurred  their 
horses,  lances  in  rest,  and  the  arrows  fell  upon 
them  like  April  rain*  ^  But  Tristram  armed  in 
his  turn,  with  those  whom  the  watchman  had 
wakened  last*  He  laced  his  hose,  put  on  his 
surcoat,  his  close-fitting  leg-pieces,  and  his  golden 
spurs  ;  he  donned  his  hauberk,  adjusted  his  helmet  ; 
he  mounted,  spurred  his  horse  into  the  plain,  and 
162 


ISEULT  OF  THE  WHITE  HAND 
appeared,  his  buckler  raised  before  his  breast, 
shouting  ^^  Carhaix/'  It  was  time  ;  Hoel's  men 
were  already  falling  back  towards  the  outworks. 
Then  was  it  fair  to  see  the  mêlée  of  fallen  horses 
and  wounded  vassals,  the  blows  dealt  by  the 
young  knights,  and  the  grass  growing  red  beneath 
their  feet.  In  the  forefront  of  the  battle,  Kaherdin 
had  halted  proudly,  seeing  a  hardy  baron  rise  up 
against  him,  the  brother  of  Count  Riol.  Both 
were  struck  by  the  lowered  lances.  The  Nantais 
broke  his  without  unhorsing  Kaherdin,  whose 
surer  thrust  shattered  his  adversary's  shield,  and 
carried  the  steel  into  his  side  up  to  the  shaft. 
Lifted  from  his  saddle,  the  knight  was  unseated 
and  fell.  ^  At  the  cry  uttered  by  his  brother, 
Riol  rushed  with  loose  rein  upon  Kaherdin.  But 
Tristram  barred  the  way.  As  they  met,  Tris^ 
tram's  lance  was  shivered  in  his  hands,  and  Riol's, 
directed  against  his  adversary's  horse,  pierced  its 
breast  and  laid  it  dead  upon  the  field.  Tristram 
sprang  to  his  feet,  sword  in  hand  :  ^  ^^  Coward," 
cried  he,  ^Meath  to  him  who  avoids  the  rider 
and  kills  the  horse.  Thou  shalt  not  leave  this 
field  alive!"  ^  '^Thou  liest,"  answered  Riol, 
spurring  his  charger  against  him.  ^  But  Tristram 
parried  the  attack,  and  lifting  his  arm,  brought  his 
sword  down  heavily  on  Riol's  helmet,  piercing  the 
circlet  and  carrying  away  the  nasal.     The  blade 

163 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

slipped  from  the  knight's  shoulder  to  the  flank  of 

the    horse,   who   staggered  and    fell   in  his   turn. 

Riol  disengaged  himself  and  rose  to  his  feet  ;  then 

the  two  on  foot,  with  shattered  shields,  and  hau^ 

berks  unbuckled,  defied  and  assailed  each  other; 

finally,  Tristram  struck  Riol  upon  the  carbuncle 

of  his  helmet.     The  circlet  gave  way,  and  the  blow 

was  so  shrewd  that  the  count  fell  upon  his  hands 

and  knees.      ^  ^*  Rise  if  thou  canst,  vassal, '^  cried 

Tristram  ;  it  was  an  evil  chance  that  brought  thee 

to  this  plain  ;   thou  must  die  I  '"     ^  Riol  rose  to 

his  feet,  but  Tristram  struck  him  down  again  with 

a  blow  which  cleft  the  helmet,    cut    through   the 

coif,    and   left   the   skull  bare.       Riol   begged   for 

mercy,  asked  for  his  life,  and  handed  his  sword  to 

Tristram.     He  took  it  just  in  time,  for  the  Nantais 

came  up  on  every  side  to  their  lord's  rescue.      But 

he  was  already  recreant.     Cjf  Riol  promised  to  go 

to  Duke  HoeFs  prison,  to  swear  homage  and  fealty 

to  him  once  more,  and  to  restore  the  towns  and 

villages  he  had   ravaged.       At  his  command  the 

battle  ceased,  and  his  host  drew  off.    ^  When  the 

victors  had  returned  to  Carhaix,  Kaherdin  said  to 

his  father  :      ^  ^^  Sir>  call  Tristram,  and  keep  him 

with  you  ;  there  is  no  better  knight  on  earth,  and 

your  land  needs  a  baron  of  his  prowess.''    ^  Having 

taken  counsel  with  his  men,  Duke  Hoel  sent  for 

Tristram  :      ^  *^  Friend,  I  cannot  show  you  too 
164 


Then  the  two,  on  foot,  with   shattered  shields  and 

hauberks  unbuckled,  defied  and  assailed  each  other. 

Page  164 


l>iU. 


ISEULT  OF  THE  WHITE  HAND 
much  love,  for  you  have  saved  this  land.  I  would 
therefore  pay  my  debt  to  you*  My  daughter, 
Iseuh  of  the  White  Hand,  is  born  of  dukes,  kings 
and  queens»  Take  her,  I  give  her  to  you/^ 
^  ''  Sir,  I  will  take  her,^^  said  Tristram.  ^  Ah  I  v/ 
gentles,  why  did  he  say  that  word  ?  For^tnat  * 
word  he  died.  ^  The  day  and  time  are  appointed. 
The  Duke  comes  with  his  friends,  Tristram  with 
his.  The  chaplain  chants  the  Mass.  Before  all 
men,  at  the  gate  of  the  monastery  church,  Tristram 
weds  Iseult  of  the  White  Hand  according  to  the 
laws  of  Holy  Church.  The  bridal  was  rich  and 
sumptuous.  ^  But  when  night  came,  and  Tris-* 
tram's  men  disrobed  him,  it  happened  that  in 
drawing  off  the  tight  sleeve  of  his  tunic,  they 
pulled  from  his  finger  his  jasper  ring,  the  ring  of 
Iseult  the  Fair.  It  fell  with  a  sharp  sound  upon 
the  flagstones.  Tristram  looked  and  saw  it.  Then 
his  old  love  awoke,  and  Tristram  acknowledged 
his  guilt.  ^  He  remembered  the  day  when  Iseult 
the  Fair  had  given  him  this  ring  ;  it  was  in  the 
forest  where  she  had  lived  a  life  of  hardship  for  his 
sake.  And  lying  by  the  other  Iseult's  side,  he 
saw  again  the  hut  of  the  Morois.  What  madness 
had  made  him  in  his  heart  accuse  his  love  of 
treachery  ?  No,  she  had  suffered  every  evil  for  him,  ,/ 
and  it  was  he  alone  who  had  betrayed  her.  But 
he  also  felt  pity  for  Iseult  his  wife,  the  beautiful 

165 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
^  and  simple.  He  had  broken  faith  with  both. 
^  Meanwhile,  Iseuh  of  the  White  Hand  was 
surprised  to  hear  him  sigh  as  he  lay  beside  her. 
At  last  she  spoke,  ashamed  :  ^  '^  Dear  lord,  have 
I  offended  you  in  aught  ?  Why  do  you  not  give 
me  a  single  kiss  ?  Tell  me,  that  I  may  know  my 
fault,  and  I  will  make  you  fair  amends,  if  I  can.'' 
^  ^^Dear  one,''  said  Tristram,  ^^be  not  angry, 
but  I  have  made  a  vow.  In  times  past,  in  another 
land,  I  fought  a  dragon,  and  I  was  ready  to  perish, 
when  I  remembered  the  Mother  of  God  ;  I  promised 
her  that  if  she  would  of  her  courtesy  deliver  me 
from  the  dragon,  I  would,  if  ever  I  took  a  wife, 
refrain  for  a  whole  year  from  her  embraces." 
^  **  Well  then,"  said  Iseuh  of  the  White  Hand, 
'*  I  will  bear  it  as  I  may."  ^  But  when  in  the 
y  morning  her  maidens  put  on  her  the  habit  of 
married  women,  she  smiled  sadly,  thinking  that  she 
had  no  right  to  this  adornment* 


i66 


XVI.  KAHERDIN 


La  dame  chante  datceihent 
Sa  voix  accorde  a  Vestrument 
Les  mains  sont  betes,  U  tais  bons 
Duke  la  voix  et  bas  li  tons 

THOMAS  THE  RHYMER 


FEW  days  later,  Duke 
Hoël,  his  seneschal 
and  all  his  huntsmen, 
Tristram,  Iseult  of 
the  White  Hand  and 
Kaherdin  came  forth 
together  from  the 
castle  to  hunt  in  the 
wood.  Tristram  rode 
on  the  left  of  Kaher^ 
din,    who    held    the 


?ridle  of  Iseult's  palfrey  with  his  right  hand. 
Now  it  happened  that  the  palfrey  stumbled 
in  a  pool.  His  hoof  spurted  the  water  up 
under  Iseult  ^s  garments  so  that  she  was  all  wet, 
and  felt  the  cold  higher  than  her  knee.  She 
uttered  a  little  cry,  and  spurred  her  horse  for^ 
ward,  laughing  so  loud  and  clear  that  Kaherdin, 
pricking  after  her  and  overtaking  her,  asked  : 
^  ''  Fair  sister,  why  dost  thou  laugh  ?  ''  ^  ''  Be- 
cause of  a  thought  that  came  to  me,  fair  brother. 
When  the  water  splashed  up  to  me  I  said  to  it  : 
^  Water,  thou  art  bolder  than  the  bold  Tristram 
has  ever  been.^  That  was  why  I  laughed.  But 
I  have  already  said  too  much,  brother,  and  I  regret 
it.^'  ^  Kaherdin,  surprised,  pressed  her  so  hard 
that  at  last  she  told  him  the  truth  about  her  mar- 
riage.    ^  Then  Tristram  rejoined  them,  and  all 

169 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
three  rode  in  silence  to  the  hunting^lodge.  There 
Kaherdin  called  Tristram  to  speak  with  him  and 
said  :  ^  ^*  Sir  Tristram,  my  sister  has  confessed 
the  truth  to  me  touching  her  marriage*  I  held  you 
for  my  peer  and  comrade*  But  you  have  failed  in 
your  troth,  and  shamed  my  kindred.  If  you  do  not 
make  amends  to  me,  know  that  I  defy  you  hence^ 
forth/'  ^  Tristram  answered  :  ^  **  Yes,  I  came 
among  you  to  your  misfortune*  But  know  my 
misery,  fair  and  gentle  friend,  my  brother  and 
comrade,  and  perchance  thy  heart  will  be  softened 
towards  me*  Know  that  I  have  another  Iseult, 
the  fairest  among  women,  who  has  suffered  and 
still  suffers  many  hard  things  for  me*  Certes,  thy 
sister  loves  and  honours  me  ;  but  for  love  of  me, 
the  other  Iseult  treats  even  a  dog  that  I  gave  her 
with  greater  honour  than  thy  sister  treats  me. 
Come  ;  leave  the  chase,  and  follow  where  I  shall 
lead  thee  ;  I  will  tell  thee  the  grief  of  my  life*" 
^  Tristram  turned  his  bridle  and  spurred  his  horse, 
Kaherdin  pressed  forward  in  his  track*  Without 
a  word,  they  hastened  to  the  heart  of  the  forest. 
There  Tristram  unfolded  his  whole  life  to  Kaherdin. 
He  told  how  he  had  drunk  love  and  death  upon 
the  sea  ;  he  told  of  the  treachery  of  the  barons  and 
the  dwarf,  of  how  the  Queen  was  led  to  the  pyre 
and  given  over  to  the  lepers,  he  told  of  their  loves 
in  the  wild  forest  ;  how  he  had  given  her  back  to 
170 


The  Queen  sings  sweetly. 

Page  171 


KAHERDIN 

King  Mark,  and  how,  having  fled  from  her,  he  had 

desired  to  love  Iseult  of  the  White  Hand,  and  how 

he  knew  now  that  henceforth  he  could  neither  live"^ 

nor  die  without  the  Queen.      ^  Kaherdin  held  his 

peace  in  amazement.      He  felt  that  his  anger  was 

appeased   in    spite    of    himself.     ^  ^^  Friend/'   he 

said  at  length,  **  I  hear  marvellous  words,  and  you 

have    moved    my    heart    to    pity  ;  for  you    have 

suffered   griefs  from  which   may   God   protect   us 

all  !     Return  to  Carhaix  ;  on  the  third  day  from 

this  I  will,  if  I  can,  tell  you  my  mind.'' 

^  In  her 

chamber  at  Tintagel  Iseult  the  fair  sighs  and  calls 

on  Tristram.      She  has  no  thought,  no  hope,  no 

will  but  to  love  him  always.     All  her  desire  is  to 

him,  and  for  two  years  she  has  heard  nothing  of 

him.     Where  is  he  ?    in  what  land  ?   is  he  even 

alive  ?     ^  In  her  chamber  Iseult  the  Fair  sits  and 

makes  a  sad  love  lay.     She  sings  how  Guron  was 

surprised  and  killed  for  love  of  the  lady  he  loved 

above   all   things,   and   how   by   a  stratagem  the 

Count  gave  Guron's  heart  to  his  wife  to  eat,  and 

all  her  grief.     ^  The  Queen  sings  sweetly;  her 

voice  is  in  harmony  with  the  harp.     The  hands 

that  touch  the  strings  are  fair,  the  lay  is  good,  the 

tone  low>  and  sweet  the  voice.     ^  Now  presently 

came  Kariado,  a  rich   count  from  a  distant   isle. 

He  had  come  to  Tintagel  to  offer  his  service  to  the 

171 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
Queen,  and  many  times  since  Tristram's  departure 
/  he  had  implored  her  love»  But  the  Queen  repulsed 
y  his  prayer  and  treated  it  as  folly*  He  was  a 
goodly  knight,  proud  and  arrogant  and  fair  of 
speech,  but  he  was  fitter  for  a  lady's  chamber  than 
for  a  battle-field*  He  found  Iseult  singing  her  lay, 
and  said,  laughing  :  ^  *^  Lady,  what  a  mournful 
song,  sad  as  that  of  the  osprey*  Do  not  men  say 
that  the  osprey  sings  to  herald  death  ?  It  is  my 
death,  no  doubt,  that  your  lay  foretells  ;  for  I  die 
for  love  of  you/'  ^  ''  So  be  it,"  said  Iseult.  ''  I 
am  well  pleased  that  my  song  foretells  your  death, 
for  never  do  you  come  hither  without  some  doleful 
tidings.  It  is  you  who  have  always  been  the  osprey 
or  the  screech -*  owl  to  speak  evil  of  Tristram*  What 
evil  news  do  you  bring  me  to-day  ?"  ^  Kariado 
answered  :  ^  *^  Queen,  you  are  angry  and  I  know 
not  why  ;  but  none  save  a  fool  would  take  your 
speech  amiss!  Whatever  be  the  death  which  the 
osprey  announces,  here  is  the  evil  news  that  the 
screech-owl  brings  you*  Tristram  your  friend  is  lost 
to  you.  Lady  Iseult*  He  has  taken  a  wife  in  another 
land*  Henceforth  you  must  look  elsewhere,  for  he 
despises  your  love*  He  has  taken  to  wife  with  great 
honour  Iseult  of  the  White  Hand,  daughter  of  the 
Duke  of  Brittany*"  ^  Kariado  went  out  in  wrath. 
Iseult  the  Fair  hung  her  head  and  began  to  weep. 
^  On  the  third  day  Kaherdin  called  Tristram: 
172 


KAHERDIN 
^  ^^  Friend,  I  have  taken  counsel  in  my  heart»  If 
what  you  have  told  me  is  true,  the  life  you  lead  in 
this  land  is  madness  and  folly,  and  no  good  can  come 
of  it  either  for  you  or  for  my  sister  Iseult  of  the 
White  Hand»  Therefore  hearken  to  my  words. 
We  will  sail  together  to  Tintagel  ;  you  shall  see 
the  Queen,  and  you  will  see  if  she  still  regrets  you 
and  keeps  faith  with  you»  If  she  has  forgotten 
you,  perchance  then  you  will  hold  Iseult  my  sister^ 
the  fair,  the  simple,  more  dear»  I  will  follow  you  ; 
am  I  not  your  peer  and  comrade  ?  '^  ^  ^^  Brother,'' 
said  Tristram,  ^^  well  has  it  been  said  that  a  man's 
heart  is  worth  all  the  gold  of  a  country»"  So 
presently  Tristram  and  Kaherdin  took  the  pilgrim's 
staff  and  cloak,  as  if  they  were  about  to  visit  holy 
bodies  in  distant  lands»  They  bade  farewell  to  Duke 
Hoel,  Tristram  took  Gorvenal,  and  Kaherdin  a 
single  squire»  In  secret  they  equipped  a  vessel  and 
set  sail  for  Cornwall»  ^  The  wind  was  light  and 
favourable,  and  one  morning  before  dawn  they 
landed  not  far  from  Tintagel  in  a  solitary  creek,  near 
to  the  Castle  of  Lidan»  There,  no  doubt,  Dinas 
of  Lidan,  the  good  seneschal,  would  shelter  them 
and  hide  their  coming»  ^  Early  in  the  morning 
the  two  comrades  went  up  towards  Lidan,  when 
they  saw  coming  behind  them  a  man  who  was 
taking  the  same  road,  walking  his  horse  gently. 
They  hurried  into  the  thicket,  but  the  man  passed 

173 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
without  seeing  them,  for  he  was  dozing  in  the 
saddle*  Tristram  recognised  him.  ^  ^*  Brother/' 
said  he  softly,  ^Mt  is  Dinas  of  Lidan  himself.  He 
sleeps.  No  doubt  he  is  returning  from  his  lady 
and  he  is  still  dreaming  of  her  ;  it  would  not  be 
courteous  to  awake  him,  but  follow  me  at  a 
distance.  ^  He  came  up  with  Dinas,  took  his 
horse  gently  by  the  bridle,  and  rode  noiselessly 
beside  him.  At  last  the  horse  stumbled  and 
awoke  the  sleeper.  He  opened  his  eyes,  saw 
Tristram,  hesitated,  then  cried  :  ^  ^^  It  is  thou, 
it  is  thou,  Tristram  !  Blessed  be  the  hour  when 
I  see  thee  again.  I  have  waited  long  for  it.'" 
^  ^*  Friend,  God  save  you  !  What  news  can  you 
give  me  of  the  Queen  ?  '^  ^  ^^  Alas  I  evil  news»  The 
King  cherishes  her  and  seeks  to  make  her  happy  ; 
but  since  thine  exile  she  languishes  and  weeps  for 
thee.  Ah  !  why  hast  thou  returned  to  her  ? 
Wouldst  thou  seek  her  death  and  thine  own  once 
more  ?  Tristram,  have  pity  on  the  Queen,  leave 
her  in  peace.''  ^  ^^  Friend,"  said  Tristram, 
**  grant  me  one  guerdon  ;  hide  me  at  Lidan,  take 
my  message  to  her,  and  let  me  see  her  once  again, 
for  the  last  time."  ^  Dinas  replied  :  **  I  grieve 
for  my  lady,  and  I  will  not  give  her  thy  message 
unless  I  know  that  she  is  still  dear  to  thee  above 
all  other  ladies."  ^  '*  Ah  I  sir,  tell  her  she  is  still 
dear  to  me  above  all  other  ladies,  and  it  will  be 
174 


King  Mark  and  Iseult  the  Fair  were  seated  at  chess. 

Page  175 


KAHERDIN 
truth/'  ^  ''  Then  follow  me,  Tristram  ;  I  will 
help  thee  in  thy  need/'  ^  So  the  seneschal 
sheltered  Tristram  at  Lidan,  with  Gorvenal,  and 
Kaherdin  and  his  squire,  and  when  Tristram  had 
told  him  the  adventures  of  his  life  from  point  to 
point  Dinas  set  out  for  Tintagel  to  get  news  of 
the  court»  He  learnt  that  in  three  days'  time 
Queen  Iseult,  King  Mark  and  all  his  retinue,  his 
squires,  and  his  huntsmen,  would  leave  Tintagel  to 
visit  the  Castle  of  the  White  Plain,  where  a  great 
hunt  was  to  be  held»  Then  Tristram  gave  the 
seneschal  his  green  jasper  ring  and  the  message  he 
was  to  take  to  the  Queen. 


175 


XVII.  DINAS  OF  LIDAN 


Bete  amie  si  est  de  nus  ; 

Ne  vus  Sans  met,  no  je  sans  vus 

MARIE  DE  FRANCE 


INAS    therefore    re^ 

turned    to    Tintagel, 

mounted    the     steps 

and  entered  the  great 

halL   King  Mark  and 

Iseult  the  Fair  were 

seated  at  chess  under 

thedaïs»  Dinas  placed 

himself  on  a  stool  near 

the  Queen,  as  if  to 

watch  her  play,  and 

twice,  feigning  to  point  out  the  chessmen,  he  put 

his   hand   on  the  board  ;   the  second  time,   Iseult 

recognised  the  jasper  ring  on  his  finger.     Then  she 

could    play    no    more»      She    pushed    Dinas^   arm 

slightly  in  such  fashion  that  several  of  the  pieces 

fell  into  disorder»      ^  ^^  See,  seneschal,^'  she  said, 

**  you  have  disturbed  my  game  and  I  cannot  go  on 

with  it/'      ^  Mark  quitted  the  halL      Iseult  with-- 

drew  to  her  chamber,  and  sent  for  the  seneschaU 

^    ^^  Friend,    are    you    Tristram's    messenger  ?  '' 

^   ^^Yes,  Queen,  he  is  at  Lidan,  hidden  in  my 

castle/'      ^  Is  it  true  that  he  hath  taken  a  wife  in 

Brittany?"     ^    ''Queen,    it    is    true»      But     he 

declares  he  has  not  betrayed  you  ;    that   he   has 

never  for  a  single  day  ceased  to  love  you  above  all 

women  ;  that  he  will  die  unless  he  may  see  you 

once  more  ;  he  implores  you  to  grant  him  this,  by 

179 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

the  promise  you  gave  him  the  last  time  he  spoke 

with  you/'     ^  The  Queen  was  silent  for  a  time, 

thinking  of  the  other  Iseult»     At  last  she   made 

answer  :      ^  *^  Yes,  the  last  time  he  spoke  with  me 

I  remember  that  I  said  :  If  ever  I  see  the  green 

jasper  ring,  neither  tower  nor  fortress  nor  royal 

command  shall  hinder  me  from  doing  the  will  of 

my  beloved,  be  it  folly  or  wisdom/'     ^  '^  Queen, 

two  days  hence  the  court  is  to  leave  Tintagel  and 

go  to  the  White  Plain»     Tristram  sends  you  word 

that  he  will  be  hidden  on  the  road,  in  a  thorn 

thicket.      He    begs    you    to    have   pity   on   him/' 

^   ^*  I  have  said  :  neither   tower    nor    castle   nor 

royal  command  shall  hinder  me  from  doing  the 

will  of  my  beloved/'      ^  On  the  morrow,  while  all 

Mark's    court    made    ready    to    leave    Tintagel, 

Tristram  and  Gorvenal,  Kaherdin  and  his  squire 

donned  their  hauberks,  took  swords  and  shields, 

and  set  out  by  secret  paths  to  the  appointed  place. 

Two  roads  led  to  the  White  Plain  through  the 

forest  ;  one  fair  and  well  metalled,  on  which  the 

procession  was  to  pass,  the  other  stony  and  deserted. 

On  this  Tristram  and  Kaherdin  posted  their  two 

squires  ;  they  were  to  await  them  in  this  place, 

keeping    their    horses    and    their    shields.     They 

themselves  crept  through  the  bushes  and  hid  in 

a  thicket.     On  the  road  in  front  of  this  thicket 

Tristram  laid  a  hazel  branch  entwined  by  a  spray 
180 


DINAS  OF  LIDAN 

of   honeysuckle.     ^   Soon    the   cortège   appeared 

upon  the  road.     First  came  King  Mark's  troop. 

In  fair  array  came  the  foragers  and  marshals,  the 

cooks  and  cupbearers,  the  chaplains,  the  kennel-* 

men  leg-ding  greyhounds  and  bloodhounds,  then  the 

falconers,   carrying  the  birds  on  their  left  wrists, 

then   the   huntsmen,   then   the   knights,   then   the 

barons  ;  they  bear  their  little  part,  well  arranged 

in  pairs,  and  it  is  fair  to  see  them  richly  mounted 

upon    horses   caparisoned    with    gold^embroidered 

velvet.     Then  King  Mark  passed  by,  and  Kaherdin 

marvelled  to  see  his  henchmen  round  him  two  in 

front  and  two  behind,  all  in  cloth  of  gold  or  scarlet. 

^  Then  the  Queen's  cortège  advanced.    First  came 

the  laundresses  and  chambermaids,  then  the  wives 

and  daughters  of  barons  and  counts.     They  pass 

one  by  one  ;  a  young  knight  escorts  each.     Finally 

a  palfrey  approaches  ridden  by  the  most  beautiful 

creature    Kaherdin   has    ever    seen  ;    she    is    well 

proportioned  both  in  face  and  figure,  hips  a  little 

low,  eyebrows  well  marked,  smiling  eyes  and  small 

teeth  ;  she  is   clad   in  a  gown   of  red   samite  ;  a 

slender  fillet  of  gold  and  precious  stones  adorns 

her  smooth  forehead.     ^  ^^  It  is  the  Queen,''  said 

Kaherdin    in   a  low   voice.     ^  '^  The    Queen  ?  " 

said   Tristram  ;  ^*  no,    it    is    her    waiting^woman, 

Camilla."     ^  Then  there  comes  on  a  grey  horse 

another  damsel  whiter  than  snow  in  February,  and 

181 


/ 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

pinker  than  a  rose  ;  her  clear  eyes  shine  like  stars 

in    a    fountain.      ^  ^^  Now    I    see   her,   it   is   the 

Queen r'    said    Kaherdin.     ^  ^^Oh,  no!''    said 

Tristram,  'Mt  is  Bragwaine  the  Faithful/'     ^  Then 

the  road  grew  bright  suddenly,  as  if  the  sun  had 

pierced  through  the  foliage  of  the  great  trees,  and 

Iseult  the    Fair    appeared.     Duke  Andret,  whom 

God    confound,   rode    on    her    right*     ^  At    this 

moment  songs  of  linnets  and  of  larks  burst  from 

the  thicket,  and  Tristram  put  all  his  tenderness 

into  these  melodies.     The  Queen  understood  her 

lover's  message.     She  noticed  on  the  ground  the 

hazel  branch  entwined  with  honeysuckle,  and  she 

thought  in  her  heart  :  ^*  Thus  it  is  with  us,  beloved  ; 

neither  thee  without  me  nor  I  without  thee.''     She 

checked  her  palfrey,  dismounted  and  went  towards 

a  hackney  which  carried  a  kennel  adorned   with 

precious  stones  ;  there,  on  a  rug  of  purple,  lay  the 

dog  Petit-Cru  ;  she  took  it  in  her  arms,  smoothed 

it   with    her    hand,   caressed  it  with    her    ermine 

mantle,  and  made  much  of  it.     Then,  replacing  it 

in  its  shrine,  she  turned  to  the  thicket  and  said 

loudly  :      ^  ^^  Birds  of  the  wood  who  have  charmed 

me  with  your  songs,  I  take  you  into  my  service. 

While  my  lord  Mark  is  riding  to  the  White  Plain, 

I  shall  sojourn  in  my  Castle  of  Saint  Lubin.      Birds, 

follow  thither  in  my  train  ;  to-night  I  will  reward 

you  richly,  like  good  minstrels."   C|  Tristram  heard 
182 


Hi 


DINAS  OF  LIDAN 
her  words  and  rejoiced.  But  Andret  the  felon 
was  already  disquieted.  He  lifted  the  Queen  again 
into  her  saddle,  and  the  train  passed  on.  ^  Now 
you  must  hear  of  an  evil  chance.  While  the  royal' 
cortège  was  passing  along,  an  armed  knight, 
Bleheri,  appeared  on  the  road  where  Gorvenal  and  ' 
Kaherdin's  squire  were  guarding  their  lords'  horses,  — 
He  recognised  Gorvenal  and  Tristram's  shield  from  "" 
afar.  ''  What  do  I  see  ?  ''  he  thought  ;  ''  it  is  Gor- 
venal and  the  other  must  be  Tristram  himself.''  He 
spurred  his  horse  towards  them  and  cried,  **  Tris- 
tram I  "  But  the  two  squires  had  already  turned 
their  horses'  heads,  and  fled.  Bleheri  galloped 
after  them,  repeating  :  ^  ^^  Tristram  I  halt,  in  the 
name  of  valour  I  conjure  thee."  ^  But  the  squires 
turned  not.  Then  Bleheri  cried  :  C|  **  Tristram, 
hold,  in  the  name  of  Iseult  the  Fair  I  conjure  thee." 
^  Thrice  he  conjured  the  fugitives  in  the  name  of 
Iseult  the  Fair,  but  in  vain  ;  they  disappeared  and 
Bleheri  only  overtook  one  of  their  horses,  which 
he  carried  off  as  his  capture.  He  arrived  at  the 
Castle  of  Saint  Lubin  at  the  moment  after  the 
Queen  had  entered  there.  And  having  found  her 
alone,  he  said  :  ^  ^^  Queen,  Tristram  is  in  this 
country.  I  saw  him  on  the  deserted  road  that 
comes  from  Tintagel.  He  took  flight.  Thrice  I 
called  upon  him  to  halt,  conjuring  him  in  the  name 
of  Iseult  the  Fair  ;  but  he  had  taken  fright,  and  he 

183 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

dared  not  wait  for  me/'     ^  **  Fair  sir,  what  you 

say  is  folly  and  falsehood*      How  can  Tristram  be 

here  ?     Why  should  he  have  fled  from  you  ?     And 

would  he  not  have  halted  if  conjured  in  my  name  ?  '^ 

^  *^  Nevertheless,  lady,   I  saw  him,  and  in  proof 

thereof  I  have  taken  one  of  his   horses.     Look, 

there  it  stands/'     ^  But  Bleheri  saw  that  Iseult 

was  angered,  and  it  grieved  him,  for  he  loved  her 

and  Tristram.      He  left  her,  regretting  that  he  had 

spoken.     ^  Then  Iseult  wept  and  said  :  *^  Woe  is 

me,  I  have  lived  too  long,  since  I  have  seen  the 

day  when  Tristram  mocks  and  shames  me  1  What 

enemy  would   he   not    have   defied   of  old,   when 

conjured  by  my  name  ?    He  is  brave  ;  if  he  fled 

before  Bleheri,  if  he  deigned  not  to  hold  at  the 

name  of  his  lady,  it  must  be  that  the  other  Iseult 

possesses  him.     Why  did  he  come  back  ?    He  has 

betrayed  me,  and  he  wishes  further  to  shame  me. 

Have  I  not  already  suffered  enough  for  him  ?     Let 

him  go  back  then,  shamed  in  his  turn,  to  Iseult  of 

the   White   Hand.''     ^  Then   she   called   Perinis 

the  Faithful,  and  told  him  the  tidings  Bleheri  had 

brought.       She    added  :      ^    **  Friend,    seek    out 

Tristram    on    the    deserted    highway    that    leads 

from  Tintagel  to    Saint    Lubin.     Tell    him    that 

I  will  not  salute  him,  and  that  if  he  be  so  bold 

as  to  dare  approach  me,  I  will  have  him  driven 

out  by  the  guards  and  servants."     ^  Perinis  set 
184 


DINAS  OF  LIDAN 
out  on  the  quest,  and  found  Tristram  and  Kaherdin. 
He  gave  them  the  Queen's  message*  ^  ^^  Brother/' 
cried  Tristram,  *^  what  is  this  thou  sayest  ?  How 
could  I  have  fled  from  Bleheri,  since,  as  thou  seest, 
we  have  not  our  horses  ?  Gorvenal  was  keeping 
them,  we  found  him  not  at  the  appointed  place, 
and  we  are  still  seeking  him/'  Ç[  At  this  moment 
Gorvenal  and  Kaherdin's  squire  returned  ;  they  set 
forth  their  adventure.  ^  *^  Perinis,  fair  and  dear 
friend,"  said  Tristram,  ^*  return  in  all  haste  to  thy 
lady.  Tell  her  that  I  send  her  love  and  greeting, 
that  I  have  not  failed  in  the  faith  I  owe  her,  that 
she  is  dear  to  mc  above  all  women  ;  tell  her  to 
send  thee  back  to  me  bearing  her  pardon  ;  I  will 
wait  thy  return  here."  ^  So  Perinis  returned  to 
the  Queen,  and  told  her  what  he  had  seen  and 
heard.  But  she  believed  it  not.  ^  *' Ah  I 
Perinis,  thou  wast  my  close  and  faithful  servant, 
set  apart  by  my  father  from  thy  childhood  for  my 
service.  But  the  wizard  Tristram  has  won  thee 
with  his  lies  and  presents  ;  begone  I  "  ^  Perinis 
knelt  at  her  feet.  ^  ^^  Lady,  these  be  bitter  words. 
Never  have  I  felt  such  grief  in  my  life.  But  I  care 
little  for  myself.  I  grieve  for  you,  lady,  who  do 
outrage  my  lord  Tristram,  and  who  will  regret 
it  when  it  is  too  late."  ^  ^^  Begone,  I  believe 
thee  not.  Thou  too,  Perinis,  Perinis  the  Faithful, 
thou  too  hast  betrayed  me  I  "      ^  On  the  morrow, 

185 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

Tristram  wrapped  himself  in  a  great  ragged  cloak. 

He  painted  his  face  in  places  with  vermilion  and' 

walnut    juice,    so    that    he    resembled     a    wretch 

devoured   by  leprosy.      He  took  in   his   hands  a 

wooden    bowl    for    alms,     and     a    leper's    rattle. 

Ç|  Then  he  came  into  the  streets  of  Saint  Lubin, 

and   changing   his   voice,    begged    of    all    comers, 

desiring  only  that  he  might  but  see  the    Queen. 

^    Presently    she    came    forth    from   the    castle  ; 

Bragwaine  and  her  women  accompanied  her,  with 

guards  and  servants.      She  took  the  road  that  led 

to  the  church.     The  leper  followed  the  servants, 

sounded  his  rattle,  and  begged  in  dolorous  tones  : 

^    **  Queen,   give   me    an  alms  ;    you   know   not 

how  needy  I  am.''     CJ   Iseult  recognised  him  by 

his    fair    body    and    his    stature.      She    trembled, 

but    deigned    not    to    look    at    him.       The    leper 

implored  her,  and  it  was  pitiful  to  hear  him  ;  he 

dragged    himself    along     the     ground     after    her. 

^  *^  Queen,  if  I  dare  approach  you,  be  not  angry  ; 

have  mercy  on  me.      I  have  deserved  it.''     ^  But 

the     Queen     called    her     guards     and     servants  : 

^  *^  Drive  away  this  beggar,"  she  said.      ^  The 

servants  drove  him  off  and  beat  him.      He  resisted 

them    and    cried  :        ^     **  Queen,     have     pity." 

^    Then    Iseult    laughed    aloud.      She    was    still 

laughing  when  she  entered  the  church.     When  he 

heard  her  laughter,  the  leper   went   away.     The 
186 


Tristram  disguised  himself  as  a  beggar. 

Page  1 86 


o'6m'is\  \ 


^^ ..-»-, 


DINAS  OF  LIDAN 
Queen  advanced  a  few  paces  up  the  aisle  of  the 
church  ;  then  her  limbs  failed  her  ;  she  fell  to  her 
knees,  her  face  on  the  ground,  her  arms  outstretched* 
^  On  that  same  day  Tristram  took  leave  of  Dinas 
in  such  discomfiture  that  he  seemed  to  have  lost 
his  senses,  and  his  ship  set  sail  for  Brittany. 
^  Alas  I  very  soon  the  Queen  repented  her  I 
When  she  heard  from  Dinas  of  Lidan  that  Tristram 
had  gone  in  such  bitter  sorrow,  she  began  to  think 
that  Perinis  had  told  her  the  truth  ;  that  Tristram 
had  not  fled  when  conjured  in  her  name  to  halt  ; 
and  that  she  had  done  him  a  great  wrong  in  driving 
him  away»  ^^  What  1  '^  she  thought,  ^^  I  drove  you 
away,  you,  Tristram,  my  beloved.  Never  will  you 
know  of  my  repentance,  nor  what  a  chastisement 
I  will  impose  on  myself  as  a  small  token  of  my 
remorse/'  ^  From  that  day  forth,  to  punish  her^ 
self  for  her  error  and  her  folly,  Iseult  the  Fair  wore 
a  hair-shirt  against  her  skin» 


187 


XVIII.  TRISTRAM'S  MADNESS 


El  beivre  fu  la  nostre  mort 

THOMAS 


RISTRAM      came 

again  to  Brittany,  to 

Carhaix,     to     Duke 

Hoël,    and    his   wife 

Iseult   of  the   White 

Hand*       All   wel<- 

corned  him,  but  Iseult 

the   Fair  had  driven 

him  away  ;    nothing 

else  was  of  moment 

to    him*       Long    he 

anguished  far  from  her,  till  one  day  he  thought 

that  he  would  see  her  again,  even  if  she  should 

once  more  cause  him  to  be  shamefully  beaten  by  her 

guards  and  servants*      Far  from  her,  he  knew  that 

his  death  would  be  sure  if  lingering  ;  it  were  better 

to  die  of  a  blow  than  to  perish  slowly  day  by  day* 

He  who  lives  always  in  pain  is  no  better  than  a 

dead  man*     Tristram  desired  death,  he  longed  for 

it  ;  but  he  would  have  had  the  Queen  know  that 

he  died  for  love  of  her  ;  he  would  die  more  peaces 

fully  if  she  could  learn  this*      ^  He  left  Carhaix 

without  a  word  to  any  one,  either  kinsfolk  or  friends 

or  even  Kaherdin,  his  dear  comrade*      He  set  out 

poorly  clad  and  on  foot  ;  for  none  take  note  of  the 

poor   beggars  who  tramp  along  the   high  roads. 

He  walked  till  he  came  to  the  sea  coast.     ^  In 

the  port  a  great  merchant  ship  was  making  ready  ; 

191 


i 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
the  sailors  were  already  bending  the  sails  and 
hauling  up  the  anchor  to  make  for  the  open  sea. 
^  ^^God  keep  you,  gentlemen,  and  may  your  voyage 
be  prosperous.  Whither  do  you  sail  ?  '"  ^  ^*  To 
Tintagel.^^  ^  ^^To  Tintagell  Ah,  sirs,  take  me 
with  you.'^  ^  He  embarked.  A  favourable  wind 
swelled  the  sails,  the  vessel  flew  over  the  waves. 
Five  days  and  five  nights  she  sailed  straight  for 
Cornwall,  and  on  the  sixth  day  cast  anchor  in  the 
port  of  Tintagel.  ^  Above  the  port  the  castle 
rose  over  the  sea,  well  enclosed  on  every  side. 
The  only  entrance  was  by  one  iron  door,  and  two 
guards  kept  it  day  and  night.  How  was  he  to  get 
in  ?  ^  Tristram  left  the  ship  and  sat  down  on 
the  shore.  He  learnt  from  a  passer-by  that  Mark 
was  at  the  castle,  and  that  he  had  just  held  a 
great  court  there.  ^  **  But  where  is  the  Queen  ? 
and  Bragwaine,  her  fair  waiting^woman  ?  ^' 
^  ^^They  too  are  at  Tintagel,  and  I  saw  them 
lately.  Queen  Iseult  seemed  sad  as  is  her  wont.^^ 
^  At  the  name  of  Iseult,  Tristram  sighed,  and 
thought  that  neither  valour  nor  cunning  would 
help  him  to  see  his  beloved  again  :  for  King  Mark 
would  kill  him.  ^  ''  But  what  matters  it  if  he 
slay  me  ?  Iseult,  should  I  not  die  for  love  of  thee  ? 
And  what  do  I  daily  but  die  ?  And  you,  Iseult,  if 
you  knew  me  to  be  here,  would  you  even  deign  to 
speak  to  your  lover  ?  would  you  not  order  me  to 
192 


TRISTRAM^S  MADNESS 
be  driven  away  by  your  guards  ?  Yes,  I  will  essay 
an  artifice»  I  will  disguise  myself  as  a  fool,  and 
this  folly  will  be  great  wisdom*  He  who  will  be 
less  wise  than  I  will  hold  me  for  a  fool  ;  he  who 
will  have  one  madder  than  I  in  his  own  house  will 
think  me  mad/'  ^  A  fisherman  came  by,  clad 
in  a  tunic  of  rough  frieze  with  a  large  hood» 
Tristram  made  a  sign  to  him,  and  took  him  apart  : 
^  ^^ Friend,  wilt  thou  change  thy  clothes  for  mine? 
Give  me  thy  coat,  it  pleases  me  well/'  ^  The 
fisherman  looked  at  Tristram's  garments,  thought 
them  better  than  his  own,  took  them  at  once  and 
went  off  quickly,  pleased  with  the  exchange» 
^  Then  Tristram  cut  his  fair  hair  close  to  his  head 
and  fashioned  a  cross  in  it.  He  smeared  his  face 
with  the  juice  of  a  magic  herb  brought  from  his 
own  country,  and  immediately  his  complexion  and 
aspect  were  so  changed  that  no  one  in  the  whole 
world  could  have  recognised  him»  He  pulled  a 
chestnut  sapling  from  a  hedge,  made  himself  a  club 
and  hung  it  round  his  neck  ;  then  with  bare  feet 
he  went  up  boldly  to  the  castle»  ^  The  porter 
thought  certainly  that  he  was  a  madman,  and  said 
to  him  :  ^  ^^  Come  hither  ;  where  hast  thou  been 
so  long  ?"  ^  Tristram  altered  his  voice  and 
answered  :  ^  '^  At  the  wedding  of  the  Abbot  of 
St»  Michael's  Mount,  who  is  my  friend»  He  has 
espoused  an  abbess,  a  portly  lady  in  a  veil»     From 

N  193 


/ 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

Besançon  to  the  Mount,  all  priests,  abbots,  monks, 

and  clerks  were  bidden  to  the  nuptials  ;  and  all, 

bearing  staves  and  croziers,  jump,  play,  and  dance 

in  the  shade  of  the  great  trees»     But  I  left  them  to 

come  hither  ;  for  I  am  to  serve  at  the  King^s  table 

to-day/'      ^  The   porter  said    to   him:    ^^ Enter 

then,  my  lord,  son  of  Urgan  the  Hairy;  you  are 

tall  and  hairy  and  like  to  your  father/'     ^  When 

he  entered  the  courtyard  swinging   his   club,  the 

grooms  and  servants  crowded  round  him,  chasing 

him  like  a  wolf  :     ^  ''  Look  at  the  fool  I  hi,  hi, 

hi  I  ''      ^  They  threw  stones  at  him  and  struck  at 

him  with  their  sticks;    but  he   defended   himself, 

leaping  and  gambolling,  and  let  them  do  their  will  ; 

when  he  was  attacked  on  the  left,  he  turned,  and 

dealt  blows  to  the  right»     ^  In  the  midst  of  shouts 

and  laughter,  drawing  the  excited  rabble  after  him, 

he  came  to  the  threshold  of  the  great  hall,  where 

King  Mark  was  seated  beside  the  Queen  under  the 

dak's»     He   approached   the   door,   slung  the   club 

round  his  neck  and  entered»     The  King  saw  him 

and  said  :   ^  ^*  This  is  a  lusty  fellow,  let  him  come 

hither»^'     ^  They  brought  him  forward,  the  club 

hanging  from  his  neck»      ^  *^  Friend,  be  welcome/' 

^  Tristram  replied  in  his  feigned  voice  :     ^  ^^  Sire, 

best    and    noblest    of    kings,    I    knew    that    your 

heart  would  melt  with  pity  at  the  sight   of  me» 

God    protect    you,    fair    sir»''     ^  ^^  Friend,    what 
194 


TRISTRAM'S  MADNESS 
seekest  thou  here  ?  ''  ^  ^*  Iseult,  whom  I 
have  so  greatly  loved.  I  have  a  sister  whom  I 
bring  to  you,  the  fair  Brunhilda»  You  are  weary 
of  the  Queen,  try  this  other.  Let  us  make  an 
exchange,  I  will  give  you  my  sister,  grant  me 
Iseult,  I  will  take  her  and  will  serve  you  for  love/' 
^  The  King  laughed  and  said  to  the  fool:  ^  ''ïi 
I  give  thee  the  Queen,  what  wilt  thou  do  with 
her  ?  Whither  wilt  thou  take  her  ?  '^  ^  ^^  Up 
above  ;  between  the  sky  and  the  clouds,  in  my  fair 
house  of  glass.  The  sunbeams  pass  through  it, 
the  winds  cannot  shake  it  ;  I  will  bring  the  Queen 
there  to  a  crystal  chamber  decked  with  roses,  all 
radiant  in  the  morning  when  the  sun  strikes  on  it/' 
^  The  King  and  the  barons  said  to  each  other  : 
^  ''  This  is  a  good  fool,  skilled  in  speech/'  ^  He 
was  seated  on  a  carpet  gazing  tenderly  at  Iseult. 
^  ''  Friend,"  said  Mark,  ''  what  hope  canst  thou 
have  that  my  lady  will  take  heed  of  a  hideous  fool 
like  thee  ?"  ^  ''  Sire,  it  is  my  right  ;  I  have 
done  much  labour  for  her  sake,  and  it  was  because 
of  her  that  I  lost  my  wits."  ^  ''Who  art  thou 
then  ?"  ^  '' I  am  Tristram,  he  who  loved  the 
Queen  so  dearly,  and  who  will  love  her  till  he 
dies/'  ^  At  this  name  Iseult  sighed,  changed 
colour,  and  said  angrily  :  ^  ''  Begone  !  what 
brought  thee  here  ?  Begone,  wretched  fool." 
^  The  fool  noted  her  anger  and  said  :     ^  ''Queen 

195 


I 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

Iseult,  do  you  not  remember  the  day  when  pierced 

by  Marhaus^  poisoned  blade,  and  bearing  my  harp 

across  the  seas,  I  was  borne  to  your  shores»     You 

healed  me»     Have  you  forgotten  this,  O  Queen  ?^' 

^  Iseult  replied  :     ^  **  Get  thee  hence,  fool  ;  thy 

follies  please  me  not,  nor  dost  thou/'     ^  Then 

the  fool  turned  at  once  to  the  barons,  and  drove 

them   towards   the   door,   crying  :      Ç|   ^^  Madmen 

all,  away  !     Leave  me  alone  to  hold  counsel  with 

Iseult  ;  for  I  came  hither  to  love  her/'     ^  The 

King  laughed,  Iseult  blushed»      ^  *^  Sire,  drive  this 

fool  away»''      ^  But  the  fool  replied  in  his  strange 

voice  :      ^  ^^  Queen  Iseult,  do  you  not  remember 

the  great  dragon  I  killed  in  your  land  ?     I  hid  his 

tongue  in  my  hose,  and  seared  by  the  venom,  I  fell 

near  the  marsh.      I  was  then  a  marvellous  knight, 

and  I  was  at  the  point  of  death  when  you  succoured 

me»"     ^   Then    Iseult    answered  :      ÇJ    **  Silence, 

thou  shamest  knighthood,  for  thou  art  a  born  fool. 

Cursed  be  the  mariners  who  brought  thee  hither, 

instead  of  throwing  thee  into  the  sea»"      ^   The 

fool  burst  out  laughing  and  continued  :     ^  Queen 

Iseult,  do  you  not  remember  the  bath  where  you 

were  about  to  kill  me  with  my  own  sword  ?  and 

the  story  of  the  Golden  Hair  which  appeased  your 

wrath  ?    and    how    I    defended    you    against    the 

cowardly  seneschal?"      ^  ^^  Silence,  evil  dreamer» 

Why  come  you  here  to  babble  of  your  dreams  ? 
196 


TRISTRAM'S  MADNESS 

You  were  drunk  last  night,  no  doubt,  and  these  are 

the  dreams  of  your  drunkenness/^     ^  ^^  It  is  true^ 

I  am  drunken,  and  with  such   a   drink  that  my 

drunkenness  will  never  pass»     Queen   Iseult,    do 

you  not  remember  that  fair,  warm  day  upon  the 

high    seas  ?      You    were    thirsty,     do    you    not 

remember,    daughter    of    kings  ?   we    both    drank 

from    the     same     goblet»       Since    then     I     have 

always   been   drunk  with   an    evil   drunkenness/' 

^  When  Iseult  heard  these  words  that  she  alone 

could  understand,  she  hid  her  head  in  her  mantle, 

rose,  and  would  have  left  the  halL     But  the  King 

held  her  back  by  her  ermine  cape,  and  made  her 

sit  down  again  at  his  side.     ^  *^Wait  a  while, 

Iseult  my  beloved,  let  us  hear  this  folly  to  the  end. 

Fool,   what   is   now  thy   calling  ?  ^'     ^  ^^  I  have 

served  kings  and  counts.'^      ^  ^^  Truly,  canst  thou 

hunt  with  hounds,  and  with  hawks  ?  ^'    ^  ^^  Certes, 

when  it  pleases  me  to  hunt  in  the  forest,  I  can 

take  the  cranes  that  fly  in  the   clouds   with   my 

greyhounds  ;  and  with  my  bloodhounds,  swans  and 

grey  or  white  geese,  and  wild  pigeons  ;  with  my 

bow,    divers     and    bustards  !  '^      ^    All    laughed 

heartily,   and   the   King    asked  :      ^  *^  And    what 

dost  thou  take,  brother,  when  thou  seekest  spoil 

in  the  river  ?  ''     €||  '^  take  all  that  I  find  ;  with 

my    kites,    wolves    and     great     bears  ;    with    my 

gerfalcons,  wild  boars  ;  with  my  hawks,  harts  and 

197 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
roes  ;  foxes  with  my  falcons,  hares  with  my  merlins. 
And  when  I  come  back  to  my  protector,  I  can 
wield  the  club,  and  divide  the  faggots  among  the 
grooms,  and  tune  my  harp  and  sing,  and  love  fair 
queens,  and  throw  well^cut  chips  into  the  brooks* 
Truly,  am  not  I  a  good  minstrel  ?  You  have  seen 
to-day  how  I  can  wield  my  staff/'  ^  And  he 
laid  about  him  with  his  club,  crying  :  ^  ^^  Away, 
my  lords  of  Cornwall  I  Why  do  you  linger  here  ? 
Have  you  not  eaten  ?  are  you  not  full  ?  ''  ^  The 
King,  having  thus  diverted  himself  with  the  fool, 
ordered  his  horse  and  his  falcons  and  went  out  to 
hunt  with  his  knights  and  squires*  ^  ^^Sire,'' 
said  Iseult,  ^^  I  am  weary  and  sorrowful*  Permit 
me  to  go  and  rest  in  my  chamber.  I  cannot  listen 
any  longer  to  this  folly*''  ^  She  went  pensive  to 
her  chamber,  seated  herself  on  her  bed  and  made 
great  lamentation*  ^  ^^Woe  is  me,  why  was  I 
born  ?  My  heart  is  sore  and  heavy.  Bragwaine, 
dear  sister,  my  life  is  so  hard  and  bitter  that  I 
would  fain  die*  There  is  a  fool  below,  with  his 
hair  cut  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  who  came  hither  in 
an  evil  hour*  This  fool  or  minstrel  is  a  wizard, 
for  he  knows   all   my   life  and   my  history  from 

U^   point  to  point;  he  knows  things  that  are  known 
to  none  but  you  and  me  and  Tristram  ;  this  beggar 

^  .,-  knows  them  by  sçrcery  or  enchantment."    ^  Brag^ 
waifie  answered:     ^  ^^May  it  not  be  Tristram 

,  ..«98  ^        ,  •  ••  ' 


TRISTRAM'S  MADNESS 
himself  ?  ''  ^''  No,  for  Tristram  is  goodly  and 
the  noblest  of  knights  ;  but  this  man  is  hideous 
and  deformed»  Cursed  be  he  of  God;  cursed  be 
the  hour  when  he  was  born,  and  cursed  the  ship 
that  bore  him  hither  instead  of  drowning  him  in 
the  deep  waters  of  the  open  sea/'  ^  *^  Calm 
yourself,  my  lady/'  said  Bragwaine»  ^^  You  are 
too  apt  to  curse  and  to  excommunicate  in  these 
days»  Where  did  you  learn  this  trade  ?  Perhaps 
this  man  may  be  a  messenger  from  Tristram  ?  '' 
^  ^M  think  not  so,  I  did  not  recognise  him.  But 
go  and  find  him,  fair  friend,  speak  to  him,  see  if 
you  recognise  him/'  ^  Bragwaine  went  to  the 
hall  where  the  fool  had  been  left  alone,  seated  on 
a  bench*  Tristram  recognised  her,  dropped  his 
club  and  said  :  ^  ^*  Bragwaine,  dear  Bragwaine, 
I  conjure  you  by  God,  have  pity  on  me  I  "  ^  ^*  Vile 
fool,  whence  knowest  thou  my  name  ?"  ^  *^  Fair 
one,  I  have  known  it  long»  By  my  head  which 
was  once  fair,  if  reason  no  longer  dwells  in  that  head, 
you  are  the  cause.  Was  it  not  you  who  should  have 
guarded  the  philtre  I  drank  upon  the  high  seas  ? 
I  drank  in  the  great  heat  from  a  silver  goblet,  and 
I  handed  it  to  Iseult.  You  alone  knew  it,  fair  one  ; 
do  you  not  remember?"  ^  ''No,"  replied 
Bragwaine,  much  troubled,  and  she  hastened  back 
to  Iseult's  chamber.  But  the  fool  ran  after  her, 
crying,  ''Have  pity!"     ^  He  enters,  seesjseult. 


199 


i  ^  .S: 


%• 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
bounds  towards  her  with  outstretched  arms,  eager 
to  clasp  her  to  his  breast  ;  but  she,  ashamed,  and 
moist  with  a  sweat  of  anguish,  draws  back  and 
evades  him»  Seeing  that  she  shrank  from  his 
touch,  Tristram  trembles  with  shame  and  anger, 
and  draws  back  against  the  wall,  near  to  the  door, 
and  in  his  feigned  voice  he  speaks  :  ^  ^*  Truly, 
I  have  lived  too  long,  since  I  have  seen  the  day 
when  Iseult  repulses  me,  does  not  deign  to  love  me, 
accounts  me  vile»  ^h  I  Iseult,  slowly  forgets  he 
who  loves  welL  Iseult,  a  fair  and  precious  thing 
is  an  abundant  spring  that  gushes  out  in  a  full 
clear  stream  ;  when  it  dries  up,  it  is  worth  nothing» 
So  is  it  with  a  love  that  fails»''  ^  Iseult  made 
answer  :  ^  ^^  Brother,  I  behold  you,  I  doubt,  I 
tremble,  I  know  not,  I  do  not  recognise  Tristram»'' 
^  ^^  Queen  Iseult,  I  am  Tristram,  he  who  loved 
you  so  truly»  Do  you  not  remember  the  dwarf 
who  strewed  the  flour  between  our  beds  ?  and  the 
leap  I  made,  and  how  the  blood  flowed  from  my 
wound  ?  and  the  gift  that  I  sent  you,  the  dog 
Petit-'Crû  with  the  magic  bell  ?  Do  you  not 
remember  the  pieces  of  wood  I  cut  and  threw  in 
the  stream?"  ^  Iseult  looked  at  him,  sighed, 
and  knew  not  what  to  do  or  say  ;  she  saw  that  he 
knew  everything,  but  thought  it  would  be  folly  to 
confess  that  he  was  Tristram»  Then  Tristram 
said  :      ^  ^^  My  Queen  and  lady,  I  know  that  you 

200 


TRISTRAM^S  MADNESS 

shrink  from  me  and  I  accuse  you  of  treachery. 

Yet  I  have  known  days  when  you  loved  me  welL 

It   was  in  the   deep  forest,   under  the   bower  of 

foliage  ?^  Do  you  remember  the  day  I  gave  you 

my  dog,  Husdent  ?     Ah  I  he  always  loved  me,  and 

for  me  he  would  leave  even  Iseult  the  Fair.     Where 

is  he  ?     What  have  you  done  with  him  ?     He  at 

least  would  know  me/^    ^  *^ He  would  know  you? 

You  speak  foolishly,  for  since  Tristram  departed, 

he  lies  all  day  in  his  kennel,  and  springs  upon 

any  man  who  dares  approach  him.     Bragwaine, 

bring  him  to  me.^^     ^^  Bragwaine  brought  him. 

^  *^  Come  hither,  Husdent,^'  said  Tristram  ;  thou 

wert  mine,  I  claim  thee  again.''     ^  When  Husdent 

heard    his    voice,    he    snatched    his    leash    from 

Bragwaine's  hands,  ran  to  his  master,  rolled  at  his 

feet,     licked    his    hands,     and    barked    for    joy. 

^  ''  Husdent  1  ''  cried  the  fool,  ''  Husdent,  blessings 

on  the  care  I  gave  to  the  rearing  of  thee  !     Thou 

givest  me  a  warmer  welcome  than  she  whom  I 

loved  so  dearly.     She  will  not  recognise  me.     Will 

she  even  recognise  this  ring  that  she  gave  me  with 

tears  and  kisses  the  day  we  parted  ?     This  little 

jasper   ring  has   never   left    me.     Often    I    asked 

counsel  of  it  in  my  grief,  often  I  watered  this  green 

stone  with  my  hot  tears.''     Çf  Iseult  saw  the  ring. 

She   opened  her   arms.     ^  ^*  Here  am  I.     Take 

me,    Tristram  I  "     ^  Then  Tristram  ceased    to 

201 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
speak  in  a  feigned  voice*  ^  ^^  Beloved,  how  could 
you  have  been  so  long  to  recognise  me,  longer 
than  the  dog  here  ?  What  matters  the  ring  ? 
Do  you  not  feel  that  it  would  have  been  sweeter 
to  have  been  remembered  at  the  recital  of  our  past 
loves  ?  What  is  the  sound  of  my  voice  to  thee  ? 
It  is  the  sound  of  my  heart  that  thou  shouldst 
hear/'  ^  ''Beloved/'  said  Iseult,  ''I  heard  it 
perchance  sooner  than  thou  thinkest  ;  but  there  are 
cunning  eyes  and  ears  around  us.  Should  I  have 
followed  my  desire  like  this  dog,  at  the  risk  of 
causing  thee  to  be  taken  and  slain  before  mine 
eyes  ?  I  kept  watch  for  thee  and  for  me.  Neither 
the  tale  of  our  past  lives,  nor  the  sound  of  thy 
voice,  nor  even  this  ring  could  prove  aught,  for  they 
might  be  the  evil  devices  of  a  wizard.  Neverthe^ 
less,  I  yield  at  the  sight  of  the  ring,  for  did  I  not 
swear  that  when  I  saw  it  again,  even  if  I  should 
perish,  I  would  do  thy  commands,  were  they 
wisdom  or  folly.  Wisdom  or  folly,  here  am  I  ; 
take  me,  Tristram. '^  ^  She  fell  swooning  on  her 
lover's  breast.  When  she  came  to  herself, 
Tristram  held  her  in  his  arms,  and  kissed  her 
eyes  and  her  face.  He  passed  with  her  behind 
the  curtain.      In  his  arms  he  clasped  the  Queen..^ 

SA  J 

^  The  varlets  kept  the  fool  for  their  amusement 
on  the  steps  of  the  hall,  like  a  dog  in  a  kennel. 

202 


TRISTRAM'S  MADNESS 
He  bore  their  jests  and  blows  patiently,  for  some^ 
times,  restored  to  his  own  shape  and  comeliness,  he 
passed  from  his  lair  to  the  Queen^s  chamber» 
Ç[  But  when  some  days  had  passed,  two  of  the 
serving^maids  suspected  the  fraud»  They  warned 
Andret,  who  placed  three  spies  well  armed  at  the 
door  of  the  women's  chambers»  When  Tristram 
would  have  entered  they  cried  :  ^  **  Back,  fool, 
return  to  thy  bundle  of  straw/'  ^  ''  What  I  fair 
gentlemen,''  said  the  fool,  **  must  I  not  go  this 
evening  to  embrace  the  Queen  ?  Know  you  not 
that  she  loves  me  ?  "  ^  Tristram  brandished  his 
club»  They  were  afraid,  and  let  him  enter»  He 
took  Iseult  in  his  arms  :  ^  ^^  Beloved,  I  must  fly, 
for  soon  I  shall  be  discovered»  I  must  fly,  and 
doubtless  I  shall  never  return  here  more»  But 
my  death  is  nigh  ;  without  thee  I  shall  die  of  my 
desire»"  ^  **  Beloved,  close  thine  arms,  and  clasp 
me  so  closely  that  our  hearts  may  break  in  this 
embrace  and  our  souls  may  go  hence»  Take  me 
to  the  Fortunate  Land  of  which  thou  toldst  me  of 
yore  ;  the  land  whence  none  return,  where  skilful 
minstrels  sing  songs  that  have  no  end»  Take  me 
thither»"  ^  ''  Yes,  I  will  take  thee  to  the  For- 
tunate Land  of  the  Living»  The  time  is  at  hand  ; 
have  we  not  tasted  all  misery  and  all  joy  ?  The 
time  is  at  hand»     When  it  is  accomplished,  if  I  call 

thee,  Iseult,  wilt  thou  come  ?"     ^  ''Beloved,  call 

203 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT. 
me  I  Thou  knowest  I  will  come/'  ^  ^^  Beloved, 
may  God  reward  thee  ?  ''  ^  When  he  passed  the 
threshold,  the  spies  fell  upon  him»  But  the  fool 
laughed  aloud,  swung  his  club  and  cried:  ^  **You 
drive  me  away,  fair  sirs.  To  what  end  ?  I  have 
naught  to  do  here  henceforth,  for  my  lady  has  sent 
me  to  prepare  the  bright  house  I  promised  her,  the 
crystal  house  decked  with  roses,  and  radiant  in  the 
morning  when  the  sun  shines  through  it/'  i^  ^^Be 
off  then,  fool,  and  curses  on  thee/'  ^  The  servants 
made  way,  and  the  fool,  without  haste,  went  away 
dancing* 


204 


XIX.  DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 


Amor  condusse  not  âd  una  morte 

DANTE,  INFERNO,  c,  v. 


FTER  he  had  returned 

to  Carhaix  inBrittany 

it  fell  out  that  Tris< 

tram  fought  against 

a  baron  named  Be^ 

dalis  on  behalf  of  his 

dear  comrade,  Kaher-* 

din*      He  fell  into  an 

ambush  prepared  by 

Bedalis     and    his 

brothers»      Tristram 

killed    the    seven    brothers,   but    he    himself   was 

wounded  with  a  lance,  and  the  lance  was  poisoned. 

^  He  came  back  with  great  difficulty  to  the  Castle 

of  Carhaix,  and  caused  his  wounds  to  be  dressed. 

The   doctors   came    in   great   numbers,   but   none 

could  cure  the  poison,  for  they  did  not  even  discover 

it.     They  used  no  plasters  to  draw  the  poison  out  ; 

it  was  in  vain  that  they  beat  and   ground  their 

roots,  gathered  their  herbs  and  compounded  potions. 

Tristram  grew  worse,  the  poison  spread  through 

his  body,  he  became  livid,  and  his  bones  began  to 

show  through  his  skin.      ^  He  felt  his  life  ebbing 

away,  he  knew  that  he  must  die.     Then  he  longed 

to  see  Iseult  the  Fair.     But  how  could  he  go  to 

her  ?    He  was  so  weak  that  the  sea  would  have 

killed  him,  and  even  could  he  have  got  to  Cornwall, 

how  would  he  have  escaped  his  enemies  there  ? 

207 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

He  made  lament,  the  poison  worked  in  his  body, 

he    waited    for    death*     ^   He    sent    secretly    for 

Kaherdin  to  tell  him  his  grief,  for  they  loved  each 

other  with  a  loyal  love.     He  would  have  no  one 

in  his  chamber  but  Kaherdin,  and  would  not  even 

suffer  any  one  in  the  adjoining  rooms.     His  wife 

Iseult  marvelled  in  her  heart  at  this  strange  fancy. 

She  came  outside  and  leant  against  the  wall  that 

was  behind  Tristram^s  bed.     There  she  listened  ; 

one  of  her  most  faithful  attendants  watched  out^ 

side  that  none  might  surprise  her.     ^  Tristram, 

gathering  all  his  strength,  sat  up,  leaning  against 

the   wall.      Kaherdin    sat    beside    him,  and    both 

wept,  tenderly.      They  wept  for  their  good  com^ 

radeship,   so  soon   broken,   their   great  friendship 

and  their  love  ;  and  each  lamented  for  the  other. 

^  ''  Fair  and  gentle  friend,''  said  Tristram,  ''  I  am 

in  a  strange  land,  where  I  have  no  kinsman  and  no 

friend  save  you  ;  you  alone  have  offered  me  joy  and 

solace   in   this   land.     I   am   dying,   and   I   desire 

greatly  to  see  Iseult  the  Fair.     But  how,  by  what 

device  can  I  let  her  know  my  necessity  ?    Ah  I  if  I 

had  a  messenger  who  would  go  to  her  she  would 

come,   so   dearly   does   she    love    me.     Kaherdin, 

dear  comrade,  by  our  friendship,  by  your  noble 

heart,  by  our  comradeship,  I  implore  you  ;  essay 

this  adventure  for  me,  and  if  you  take  my  message, 

I  will  be  your  liegeman  and  I  will  love  you  above 
208 


DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

till  men/'     ^  Kaherdin  saw  Tristram  weep,  and 

lament,  and  despair;  his  heart  mehed  with  tender^ 

mess  ;    he  answered  gently,  for  the    love  he   bore 

him  :      l|  ^'  Fair  comrade,  weep  no  more  ;    I  will 

do  your  wilL     Certes,  friend,  for  love  of  you  I  will 

l^rave  death*      No  distress  nor  anguish  shall  pre^ 

vent  me  from  doing  all  in  my  power •      Tell  me 

What  I  shall  say  to  the  Queen,  and  I  will  prepare 

lor  the  voyage/'     ^  Tristram  answered  :  ^^  Friend, 

1  thank  thee*      Now  hear  my  prayer*     Take  this 

i*ing  ;    it  is  a  token  between  her  and  me.      And 

when  you  come  to  her  country,  go  to  the  court  in 

the  guise  of  a  merchant.      Offer  her  pieces  of  silk 

and  show  her  this  ring  ;    she  will  at  once  find  a 

means  of  speaking  to  you  secretly.     Then  tell  her 

that  my  heart  greets  her  ;   and  she  alone  can  bring 

me  comfort  ;  tell  her  that  if  she  comes  not,  I  shall 

die  ;  ^11  her  to  remember  our  past  pleasures  and 

our  great    sufferings   and   sorrows,  and  our  joys, 

and  the  sweets  of  our  loyal  and  tender  love  ;    let 

her   remember  the  philtre  we  drank  together   on 

the  sea  ;    ah  I   it  was  death  that  we  drank  I      Let 

her  remember  the  vow  I  made  never  to  love  any  j 

save  her  ;  I  have  kept  that  promise.''  )  ^  Behind 

the  wall,  Iseult  of  the   White  Hand  heard  these 

words,  and  was  ready  to   swoon.       <][  ^^  Hasten, 

comrade,   and    come    back    soon    to   me  ;    if  you 

linger,  you  will  see  me  no  more.     Take  a  term  of 

o  209 


^r 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT-l1^,o 
orty  days  and  bring  back  Iseult  the  Fair»      Hide 
your  departure  from  your  sister,  or  tell  her  thai 
you  are  going  in  search  of  a  leech»     Take  my  fair 
ship,  and  take  with  you  two  sails,  one  white  am 
the   other   black»       If  you   bring   back   Iseult  th 
Queen,  hoist  the  white  sail  when  you  return  ;  and 
if  you  bring  her  not,  journey  with  the  black  sail 
Friend,  I  have  no  more  to  say»      May  God  kee 
you  and  bring  you  back  safe  and  sound»^^      ^  H 
sighed,   wept   and   lamented,    and   Kaherdin   wep 
also,  kissed  Tristram,  and  departed»      ^  He  pu 
to  sea  with  the  first  wind.     The  mariners  hauled 
up   the    anchors,   bent  their   sails,   flew  before    a 
light  wind,  and  their  prow  cut  through  the  high 
deep  waves.      They  took   rich   merchandise  with 
them;    silken  cloths  dyed  with  rare  colours,  fine 
pottery    from    Tours,   wines    from    Poitou,    ger^ 
falcons  from  Spain,  and  by  this   device  Kaherdin 
hoped  to   get   access  to   Iseult»      Eight   days  and 
eight  nights  they  breasted   the  waves,  and  came 
with  full  sail  to  Cornwall»     IJ  A  woman's  wrath 
is    a    terrible    thing,    let    each     man     beware   of 
it»      There,   where    she    has    loved    best,   will  a 
woman  avenge   herself   most  cruelly»      The  love 
of  women  comes  swiftly,  and   swiftly  comes  their 
hate  ;  their  enmity,  once  it  has  come,  lasts  longer 
than  their  friendship»     They  can  restrain  their  love, 
but  not   their  hate»      Standing  against  the   wall, 

210 


DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
Iseult  of  the  White  Hand  had  heard  every  word* 
She  had  loved  Tristram  so  dearly  !  .  ♦  .  and  at  last 
she  knew  of  his  love  for  another»  She  remembered 
all  she  had  heard»  If  she  should  be  able,  how  will 
she  be  avenged  some  day  upon  him  she  loves  best 
in  the  world  !  Nevertheless,  she  dissembled,  and 
when  the  doors  were  opened  again  she  entered 
Tristram^s  chamber,  and  hiding  her  wrath,  she 
continued  to  serve  and  cherish  him  in  loving 
fashion»  She  spoke  to  him  gently,  kissed  him  on 
the  lips,  and  asked  if  Kaherdin  would  soon  come 
back  with  the  leech  to  cure  him»  »  »  ♦  But  all  the 
time  she  pondered  her  vengeance»  ^  Kaherdin 
held  on  his  course  till  he  dropped  anchor  in  the 
port  of  Tintagel»  He  took  a  large  falcon  on  his 
wrist,  a  cloth  of  rare  colour,  and  a  finely  chased 
goblet»  He  presented  these  to  King  Mark,  and 
begged  him  courteously  for  safeguard  and  peace, 
that  he  might  traffic  in  his  domain  without  fear  of 
chamberlain  or  viscount»  And  the  King  granted 
him  his  request  before  all  the  men  of  his  palace» 
^  Then  Kaherdin  offered  the  Queen  a  golden  clasp 
finely  chased»  ^  ''Queen/'  said  he,  ''the  gold  is 
good  ''  ;  and  drawing  Tristram^s  ring  from  his 
finger,  he  placed  it  beside  the  jewel»  ''Behold, 
Queen,  the  gold  of  the  clasp  is  richer,  yet  the  gold 
of  this  ring  is  also  of  price»''  ^  When  Iseult 
recognised  the  jasper  ring  her  heart  beat  and  her 

211 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
colour  changed,  and  fearing  what  she  was  about  t(  ! 
hear,  she  drew  Kaherdin  aside  to  a  casement,  as  î  \ 
to  see  better,  and  to  bargain  for  the  ring,  Kaherdir 
said  quickly  :  ^  ^*  Lady,  Tristram  lies  wounded 
by  a  poisoned  blade,  and  he  is  nigh  unto  death. 
He  sends  you  word  that  you  alone  can  bring 
comfort  to  him.  He  reminds  you  of  the  grief  and] 
pains  you  suffered  together.  Keep  the  ring,  he 
sends  it  to  you.^^  ^  Iseult  answered  faintly  : 
^  ^^  Friend,  I  will  follow  you.  Let  your  ship  be 
ready  to  sail  to-morrow  morning.^^  ^  On  the 
morrow  in  the  morning,  the  Queen  said  she  would 
go  hawking,  and  ordered  her  birds  and  dogs  to  be 
got  ready.  But  Duke  Andret,  who  watched  her 
continually,  went  with  her.  When  they  were  in 
the  fields,  not  far  from  the  sea^shore,  a  pheasant 
rose.  Andret  loosed  a  falcon  in  pursuit  of  it,  but 
the  weather  was  clear  and  fine,  the  falcon  took 
flight  and  disappeared.  ^  **  See,  Sir  Andret,"'  said 
the  Queen,  the  falcon  has  perched  over  there  in  the 
port,  on  the  mast  of  a  ship  I  know  not.  Whose  is 
this  vessel  ?  ''  ^''  Lady,''  said  Andret,  ''  it  is  the 
ship  of  that  merchant  from  Brittany  who  gave  you 
the  golden  clasp  yesterday.  Let  us  go  and  claim 
our  falcon."  ^  Kaherdin  had  placed  a  plank  like 
a  footbridge  from  his  ship  to  the  shore.  He  came 
to  meet  the  Queen.  ^  *^  Lady,  may  it  please  you  to 
enter    my   ship,   and   I   will   show    you    my    rich 

212 


DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

merchandise/'     ^  '^  Willingly,  sir/'  said  the  Queen. 

^    She  dismounted,  went   straight   to  the  plank. 

crossed  it,  and  entered  the  ship.     Andret  was  about 

to   follow   her,    and   set   foot   on   the    plank;  but 

Kaherdin,  standing  on  the  bulwark,  struck  at  him 

with  an  oar  ;  Andret  staggered  and  fell  into  the 

sea.      He  tried  to  recover  himself;  but  Kaherdin 

beat  him  down  under  the  water,  crying:      ^  ^^Die, 

traitor  !     This  is  thy  reward  for  all  the  evil  thou 

hast  brought  upon  Tristram  and  Queen  Iseult.'' 

^  Thus  God  avenged  the  lovers  on  the  felons  who 

had  hated  them.     All  four  were  dead  :   Guenelon, 

Gondoïne,  Denoalen,  and  Andret.      ^  The  anchor 

was  weighed,  the  mast  set,  the  sail  bent.     The 

fresh  breeze  of  morning  rustled  in  the  rigging  and 

swelled  the  sails.      Out  of  the  port,  towards  the 

open  sea,  all  white  and  luminous  in  the  distance 

under   the   sunbeams,    darted   the   vessel.     ^   At 

Carhaix    Tristram    languished.      He   yearned    for 

the   coming  of   Iseult.      Nothing   comforted    him, 

and  if  he  still  lived  it  was  because  he  waited  for 

her.      Every  day  he  sent  to  the  shore  to  see  if  the 

vessel  were  in  sight,  and  of  what  colour  was  her 

sail  ;  his  heart  had  no  other  desires.     Presently 

he  caused  himself  to  be  carried  upon  the  cliff  at 

Penmarch,  and  as  long  as  the  sun  showed  above 

the  horizon,   he   looked   out   seawards.      ^  Now 

hearken,  gentles,  to  a  dolorous  adventure,  pitiable 

213 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT  i 

colour  changed,  and  fearing  what  she  was  about  to 
hear,  she  drew  Kaherdin  aside  to  a  casement,  as  ill 
to  see  better,  and  to  bargain  for  the  ring*  Kaherdin 
said  quickly  :  ^  ^^  Lady,  Tristram  lies  wounded 
by  a  poisoned  blade,  and  he  is  nigh  unto  death. 
He  sends  you  word  that  you  alone  can  bring 
comfort  to  him.  He  reminds  you  of  the  grief  and 
pains  you  suffered  together.  Keep  the  ring,  he 
sends  it  to  you.'^  ^  Iseult  answered  faintly  : 
^  *^  Friend,  I  will  follow  you.  Let  your  ship  be 
ready  to  sail  to-morrow  morning.'^  ^  On  the 
morrow  in  the  morning,  the  Queen  said  she  would 
go  hawking,  and  ordered  her  birds  and  dogs  to  be 
got  ready.  But  Duke  Andret,  who  watched  her 
continually,  went  with  her.  When  they  were  in 
the  fields,  not  far  from  the  sea^shore,  a  pheasant 
rose.  Andret  loosed  a  falcon  in  pursuit  of  it,  but 
the  weather  was  clear  and  fine,  the  falcon  took 
flight  and  disappeared.  ^  ^^  See,  Sir  Andret,"'  said 
the  Queen,  the  falcon  has  perched  over  there  in  the 
port,  on  the  mast  of  a  ship  I  know  not.  Whose  is 
this  vessel  ?  "'  ^ ''  Lady,''  said  Andret,  ''  it  is  the 
ship  of  that  merchant  from  Brittany  who  gave  you 
the  golden  clasp  yesterday.  Let  us  go  and  claim 
our  falcon."  ^  Kaherdin  had  placed  a  plank  like 
a  footbridge  from  his  ship  to  the  shore.  He  came 
to  meet  the  Queen.  ^  *^  Lady,  may  it  please  you  to 
enter    my   ship,   and   I   will   show    you    my    rich 

212 


DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

merchandise/'     ^  '^  Willingly,  sir/'  said  the  Queen. 

^    She  dismounted,  went   straight  to  the   plank* 

crossed  it,  and  entered  the  ship.     Andret  was  about 

to   follow   her,    and   set   foot    on   the    plank;  but 

Kaherdin,  standing  on  the  bulwark,  struck  at  him 

with  an  oar  ;  Andret  staggered  and  fell  into  the 

sea.      He  tried  to  recover  himself;  but  Kaherdin 

beat  him  down  under  the  water,  crying:      ^  ^^Die, 

traitor  !     This  is  thy  reward  for  all  the  evil  thou 

hast  brought  upon  Tristram  and  Queen  Iseult/' 

^  Thus  God  avenged  the  lovers  on  the  felons  who 

had  hated  them.     All  four  were  dead  :  Guenelon, 

Gondoïne,  Denoalen,  and  Andret.     ^  The  anchor 

was  weighed,  the  mast  set,  the  sail  bent.     The 

fresh  breeze  of  morning  rustled  in  the  rigging  and 

swelled  the  sails.     Out  of  the  port,  towards  the 

open  sea,  all  white  and  luminous  in  the  distance 

under   the   sunbeams,    darted   the   vessel.     ^   At 

Carhaix    Tristram    languished.      He   yearned    for 

the   coming  of   Iseult.      Nothing   comforted    him, 

and  if  he  still  lived  it  was  because  he  waited  for 

her.      Every  day  he  sent  to  the  shore  to  see  if  the 

vessel  were  in  sight,  and  of  what  colour  was  her 

sail  ;  his  heart  had  no  other  desires.     Presently 

he  caused  himself  to  be  carried  upon  the  cliff  at 

Penmarch,  and  as  long  as  the  sun  showed  above 

the  horizon,   he   looked   out   seawards.      ^  Now 

hearken,  gentles,  to  a  dolorous  adventure,  pitiable 

213 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

to  all  who   love^     Iseult  was  drawing  near  ;  the 

cliffs   of   Penmarch   were   already   seen    from    the 

vessel,  and  she  bounded  forward  joyously*     Then 

a  storm^wind  rose  suddenly,  struck  the  sail  full, 

and     swept    the    vessel    round»       The    mariners 

ran    to    the   luff,   and   went    about    against    their 

wilU     The  wind  howled,  the   deep  waves  surged 

round  them,  the  air  was  thick  and  dark,  the  sea 

grew  black,  the  rain  burst  over  them  in  squalls* 

Rigging  and  bowlines  cracked,  the  sailors  hauled 

in  the  sail  and  drifted  at  the  will  of  wind  and  water* 

They  had  unhappily  forgotten  to  hoist  up  the  boat 

that  was  made  fast  to  the  poop,  and  followed  in 

the   wake  of  the  vessel*     A  wave  broke  over  it 

and    carried    it    away*       ^    Iseult    cried    aloud  : 

^  ^^  Alas  !  woe  is   me  I     God  will  not  permit  me     I 

to  live  long  enough  to  see  Tristram  once  again  ; 

it  is  His  will  that  I  should  be  drowned  in  this  sea* 

Tristram,  had  I  but  once  more  spoken  with  thee,  I 

would  have  cared  little  that  I  should  die  thereafter* 

Beloved,  if  I  come  not  to  thee,  it  is  because  God 

wills  it  so,  and  this  is  the  greatest  of  my  griefs. 

My  death  is  nothing  to  me;  since  God  desires  it, 

I  accept   it  ;   but  beloved,  when  thou  learnest  it, 

thou  wilt  die,  I  know.     Our  love  is  such  that  thou 

canst  not  die  without  me,  nor  I  without  thee.     I 

see  thy  death  before  me  at  the  same  time  as  my 

own*     Alas  I    beloved,    my   desire    is    not  to    be 
214 


DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 

granted  me;   it  was  to  die  in  thine  arms,  and  to 

be  buried  in  thy  coffin»      But  this  is  denied  us»      I 

am  about  to  die,  and  to  disappear  into  the  waters 

without  thee»     Perhaps  thou  wih  never  know  of 

my  death,  thou  wilt  live  on,  waiting  always  for  my 

coming»     If   it  be  God^s  will,  thou   mayest  even 

recover»   •   »  »     Ah!  and  perhaps  thou  mayest  love 

another  woman,  thou  mayest   love   Iseult   of  the 

White   Hand»     I   know  not  how  it  will  be  with 

thee  ;    as  for  me,  beloved,  if  I  knew  thee  dead,  I 

would    not    live    thereafter»     God   grant,  beloved, 

either  that  I  heal  thee,  or  that  we  both  die  of  the 

same  pang»^^     ^  Thus  did  the  Queen  lament  as 

long  as  the  tempest  lasted»     But  after  five  days 

the   storm   abated»     High  on  the  mast  Kaherdin 

hoisted  the  white  sail,  that  Tristram  might  see  the 

colour    from    afar»      Already    Kaherdin    sees    the 

shores    of    Brittany»       Alas  !     a    calm    came    on 

immediately    after    the    storm,    the    sea    became 

smooth  and  quiet,  the  wind   ceased  to   swell  the 

sails,   the   mariners  drifted  vainly   up  and  down, 

backwards    and    forwards»     They  saw   the   coast 

from  afar,  but  the  storm  had  carried  off  their  boat, 

so  that  they  could  not  land»     On  the  third  night 

Iseult  dreamt  that  she  held  in  her  lap  the  head  of  a     / 

great  wild  boar  which  stained  her  robe  with  blood, 

and  she  knew  by  this  token  that  she  should  see 

her  lover  no  more»     ^  Tristram  was  too  weak  now 

215 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
to  watch  from  the  cliffs  of  Penmarch,  and  all  the  long 
days  he  lay  in  his  chamber  far  from  the  shore,  he 
wept  for  Iseuh  who  came  not.  Faint  and  weary, 
he  sighed,  lamented,  and  tossed  on  his  couch  ;  he 
seemed  like  to  die  of  his  yearning.  ^  At  Ia3t  the 
wind  freshened,  and  the  white  sail  appeared. 
Then  Iseult  of  the  White  Hand  avenged  herself. 
^  She  came  to  Tristram^s  bedside  and  said  : 
*^  Beloved,  Kaherdin  comes.  I  have  seen  his  ship 
on  the  sea  ;  it  is  making  slowly  for  the  shore  ; 
but  I  recognised  it  ;  may  it  bring  you  healing.'' 
Q  Tristram  trembled.  **  Fair  wife,  are  you  sure 
it  is  his  ship?  Tell  me  what  like  is  the  sail?'' 
Ç  ^M  saw  it  well,  they  have  hoisted  it  high  and 
spread  it  wide,  for  there  is  little  wind.  It  is  all 
black."  ^  Then  Tristram  turned  his  face  to  the 
wall  and  said  :  *^  I  can  live  no  longer."  He 
repeated  thrice  ^Mseult,  beloved,"  and  the  fourth 
time  he  gave  up  the  ghost.  ^  Then  throughout 
the  house  the  knights,  Tristram's  comrades,  wept 
and  bewailed  him.  They  took  him  from  his  bed, 
laid  him  on  a  rich  carpet,  and  wrapped  his  body 
in  a  winding-sheet. 

fl  On  the  sea  the  wind  had 
risen  and  filled  the  sail.  It  bore  the  ship  to  land. 
Iseult  the  Fair  disembarked.  She  heard  wailing  in 
the  streets,  and  bells  tolling  from  chapels  and  monas^ 
teries.  She  asked  the  country  people  the  meaning 
2i6 


DEATH  OF  TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
of  these  bells  and  tears*  ^  An  old  man  answered 
her  :  i^  *^  Lady,  we  are  in  great  grief,  Tristram, 
the  free  and  valiant  knight,  is  dead*  He  was 
generous  to  the  poor,  helpful  to  the  suffering.  It 
is  the  worst  disaster  that  has  ever  befallen  this 
land/^  ^  Iseult  heard,  and  she  could  not  utter  a 
word*  She  went  up  to  the  palace,  passing  through 
the  street  with  her  bodice  unlaced*  The  Bretons 
marvelled  as  they  looked  at  her*  Never  had  they 
seen  so  fair  a  lady*  Who  was  she  ?  Whither  was 
she  going  ?  ^  Iseult  of  the  White  Hand,  dis- 
tracted by  the  evil  she  had  wrought,  hung  over 
Tristram^s  body,  uttering  loud  cries*  The  other 
Iseult  entered  and  said  to  her  :  ^  ^^  Lady,  rise, 
and  let  me  come  near*  Believe  me,  I  have  a 
greater  right  to  weep  for  him  than  you  ;  I 
loved  him  more*^^  ^  She  turned  towards  the 
east  and  prayed  to  God*  Then  she  uncovered  the 
body  a  little,  and  laid  down  beside  her  lover, 
kissed  him  on  the  mouth  and  cheeks  and  clasped 
him  closely  in  her  arms  ;  mouth  to  mouth  and  body 
to  body,  she  gave  up  the  ghost  and  died  beside  him 
for  grief*  ^  When  King  Mark  heard  of  the  death 
of  the  lovers,  he  crossed  the  seas,  and  coming  to 
Brittany,  he  caused  two  coffins  to  be  fashioned, 
one  of  chalcedony  for  Iseult,  the  other  of  beryl  for 
Tristram*     He  carried  their  beloved  bodies  back 

with  him  in  his  ship  to  Tintagel*    Near  to  a  chapel, 

p  217 


TRISTRAM  AND  ISEULT 
right  and  left  of  the  apse,  he  buried  them  in  two 
tombs.  But  during  the  night,  a  green  and  leafy 
brier  with  strong  shoots  and  perfumed  flowers  grew 
up  from  Tristram's  tomb,  and  rising  over  the  chapel, 
struck  into  Iseult's  grave.  The  country  people  cut 
down  the  brier,  but  on  the  morrow  it  sprang  up 
again,  green  and  blooming  and  vigorous  as  before, 
and  once  more  thrust  itself  into  the  bed  of  Iseult  the 
Fair.  Thrice  they  essayed  to  destroy  it,  but  in  vain. 
Finally,  they  told  King  Mark  of  the  miracle,  and 
he  forbade  them  to  cut  down  the  brier  henceforth. 

^  Gentles,  the  good  trouvères  of  olden  times, 
Beroul,  and  Thomas  and  Eilhart  and  Master 
Gottfried,  told  this  tale  for  all  those  who  love,  and 
not  for  others.  They  give  you  greeting  by  me. 
They  greet  those  who  are  pensive  and  those  who 
are  happy,  the  dissatisfied  and  the  desirous,  those 
who  are  joyous  and  those  who  are  troubled,  all 
lovers  whatsoever.  May  they  find  here  consolation 
for  unfaithfulness,  injustice,  despite,  and  grief,  for 
all  the  woes  of  love  I       ^   ^.    ^^ 


Printed  by  BALLANTYNE  Ac  CO.  LIMITED 
Taristock   Street,  Coyent  Garden,  London 


1 


She  gave  up  the  ghost  W^  died  beside  him  for  grief. 
^  "^VP^  Page  217 


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